Barbara J. McHaley

Barbara Jean McHaley, 82, of Springfield, passed away at 10:25 p.m., Saturday, July 22, 2017 at Memorial Medical Center. She was born on May 25, 1935 in Beardstown, IL to John Henry and Kathryn Amalia (Meyer) Edwards. She married John William McHaley, Jr. on December 27, 1953 and he preceded her in death on January 15, 2001.

Also preceding Barbara in death are her parents, one brother, Robert Edwards and one sister, Shirley Edwards.

Surviving are one daughter, Lynda (George) Preckwinkle and one son, Tyler McHaley, both of Springfield.
Barbara was a homemaker and found her greatest joys in caring for her family and friends. In 2000, she moved from Beardstown to Springfield to be with her family.

She belonged to First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Beardstown. Barbara loved gardening, especially filling her yard with orange and yellow flowers and collecting rocks from all over the world. She was a founding member of Camp Courage for children with disabilities in Jacksonville, IL and staffed the telethon for United Cerebral Palsy for many years.

Barbara was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, loved animals especially her dogs and playing cards. She also loved traveling to visit her ancestral home County Wexford, Ireland.

Graveside Service: 2 p.m., Thursday, July 27, 2017 at Camp Butler National Cemetery with Rev. Dr. Blythe Denham Kieffer officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Animal Protective League or The Helping Paw Project.