Barbara Alene Mineah

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Barbara Alene Mineah, 84, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away peacefully on April 7^th, 2026, in her adopted hometown of Colorado Springs.  She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt and a wonderful neighbor and friend to all who had the fortune of knowing her.

Barbara was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 7, 1941, to Ida and David Blackman, the oldest of three sisters.  The family then relocated to California and lived in China Lake before settling in San Diego in the Adams Street neighborhood.  The Southern California area was also home to many cousins and family get-togethers were a regular part of her upbringing.

Barb graduated from Crawford High School in San Diego and then attended the University of California Riverside where she would later meet George Mineah.  They quickly fell in love and were married on April 5, 1962, and welcomed their first daughter Janice later that year.  While living in Tacoma, Washington, a second daughter Carolyn was born in 1965 and the whole family moved to Colorado Springs in 1966.

She was married to George for more than 60 years before his passing in 2022, and after living briefly on Logan Avenue, they moved into a house on Sheridan Avenue for the better part of 45 years, albeit with a couple year absence in the early 90s.

Barb worked for a number of years for the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind where she was part-time work as an assistant to the Teacher of Visually Impaired at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind; a beloved as a true educator, friend and companion of those who were less fortunate.  She would even translate texts into Braille on a typewriter that she had in her house.

She finished her BS degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs in 1975 and also worked for the Colorado Springs school district as a teacher’s aide for the visually impaired for many years before retiring in 2004.

Barb and George were both in Salt Lake City in 1992 while awaiting the birth of their first grandchild and after some debate with the hospital staff, Barb was actually in the delivery room to witness the birth of Marijane, while George was very comfortable in the waiting room, thank you very much.

After selling their house on Sheridan and living in the Houston area for a couple years (where they volunteered as ESL instructors to adult immigrants), Barb and George were looking to move and as fate would have it; their old house in Colorado Springs was up for sale so they bought it (again) and moved back to their favorite hometown in 1995, shortly before the birth of their second grandchild Henry.  Barb continued her commitment as volunteer at Memorial Hospital as a baby cuddler at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This gave her untold hours of joy.

Barb loved to walk, run, hike, tend to her garden (roosters are the bomb!), read, sew and knit and made many beautiful quilts over the years.  She and George also enjoyed traveling which saw them visit most of the 50 States, along with Germany, Ireland, France and China.  She even agreed with George to buy an RV in the late 90s which resulted in many trips around the southwestern US (and even to a family reunion in Illinois!) with her two grandchildren and Janice and her husband.  

After Janice’s family relocated to the Denver area in 1998, Barb and George would make many treks to see their grandchildren participate in school plays and performances and well as sporting events.  They also took classes in Norwegian Rosemaling which saw them travel to Denver on many Saturdays over the course of several years.

Barb was preceded in death by her parents and her husband George.

Those left to celebrate her life include her daughters Janice (Brad) Dau, and Carolyn Mineah, grandchildren Marijane Dau and Henry (Sarah) Dau, sisters Betty (Steve) Ball and Peggy (Chris) CoZi, many cousins, nieces and nephews and innumerable friends and neighbors.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a future date.

Donations may be made in Barbara’s honor to the Colorado Springs chorale, classical radio station KCME, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile. a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.  – Leo F. Buscaglia

Barb-Mom-Grandma: We all love you very much and we will miss you dearly, and we know that you are at peace and can rest after a remarkable life here on earth.