Petronella “Pieta” Johanna Maria Barber passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 22, 2026, at the age of 95. She was at home, comforted by the presence of her beloved husband of 66 years, Thomas Sr., after a prolonged journey with dementia.
Pieta was born on January 27, 1931, in Tilburg, The Netherlands, to Johanna and Henricus Kollau. She was the older sister of late brother, Kees Kollau (An). Having grown up in The Netherlands during World War II, she developed the resilience and strength that would define her life. In 1957, she came to the United States, where she worked as a nanny for the Broderick family in Chicago (their story was told by Tom Brokaw in The Greatest Generation). It was there that she met her cherished Tom. They were married on July 4, 1959 in Tilburg, The Netherlands and went on to build a loving family in Chicago and Western Springs, IL.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt, Pieta always placed her family above all else. She was a bright, practical woman whose wisdom and strength left a lasting impression on those around her. Prior to becoming a mother she worked as a secretary in a Chicago law firm and later ran the office of Tom’s business. She found joy in gardening and took great pride in creating a warm and welcoming home. Pieta was highly skilled with all needle crafts, could reupholster anything, and sewed every curtain ever to bedeck a Barber family window. She loved board games, cards and puzzles and always brought her fierce sense of fairness and fun-loving spirit to the table. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Pieta is survived by her devoted husband, Thomas Sr.; and her four children: Henry (Frances) Barber of San Diego, California; Ankie (Larry) McEvoy of Billings, Montana; Amy (Andy) Ramirez of Bronxville, New York; and Thomas (Amy) Barber Jr. of Inverness, Illinois. She was a cherished grandmother to Andrew (Danielle), Brandon and Audrey Barber; Brandon (Christine) Niewinski; Peyton (Dana) Pyburn; Cameron Cross; Jackson (Lauren), Peter, Wes, and Quentin McEvoy; Gabriella and Johanna Ramirez; and Jennifer, Emily, and Alex Barber. She was also a proud great-grandmother to Maeve and Shepherd McEvoy; Bryce, Brooklyn, and Brayden Niewinski; and Vivian and Lillian Pyburn. Her sister-in-law An Kollau and nieces Caroline (Richard) Janssen and Jessica (Han) Rizelli remain in The Netherlands.
Burial will take place at 11:00 am on April 25, 2026 at Fancy Creek Cemetery, 2200 Holten Rd, Sherman, IL 62684.
Condolences may be shared with the family at rememberingpieta@gmail.com
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at: https://events.alz.org/fundraisers/henrybarber/in-loving-memory-of-our-wife--mother--grandmother-and-greatgrandmother
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