BARBARA STEVENS DANIEL was a welcome, postwar, ‘surprise’ baby, born in Panama City, Florida, in January of 1947 to parents Percy Gorden and Frieda Lynn Barrington Stevens. Barbara left this life, also in Panama City, on September 20, 2026, at seventy-nine and two thirds years old. In addition to back problems that would have crippled a weaker soul, Barbara also battled systemic lupus and its rampant complications for over thirty years. Despite these serious health conditions, without complaint, Barbara consistently kept a positive, cheerful disposition, and lived an incredibly active life with a productivity level that would have impressed a Keebler Elf. As the disease advanced, ravaging her body, Barbara’s stout stubbornness and stoic resolve sustained her. It was not until the last week of Barbara’s life that her powerful force of will could not make her body obey her. She died as she wanted: peacefully, in her own bed, beside the love of her life, her devoted husband of over thirty-seven years, John Fletcher Daniel. Although Barbara was born in Panama City, she spent her formative years in Mobile, Alabama, ultimately graduating from Murphy High School, where she was a member of Delta Beta Sigma. After high school, she attended Mississippi State College for Women. However, while taking summer classes at South Alabama, Barbara caught the eye of Shelby Jefferies McIntosh, who immediately began to pursue her. Shelby was successful at winning Barbara’s affections, and the pair became engaged and were married in Mobile in September of 1967. Roughly three years later, their daughter Kelly Lynn McIntosh was born. In 1976, the little family removed to New Orleans, where Barbara continued playing high[1]level competitive tennis and rearing a daughter who (much to Barbara’s chagrin) was a whole lot like her. As it does, life unfolded, changed, and offered new opportunities, the most important of which was a “reintroduction” to John Daniel, a lifelong friend of Barbara’s sister, Lynda Zehner. The encounter occurred because of an island-getaway-boat-trip that Barbara’s cousins, Tink and Claude Warren, her sister and brother-in-law, Lynda and Bill Zehner, and John had planned to take. However, by the time of departure for the vacation, John’s “plus one” had opted out, leaving him as a third wheel. At Lynda’s gentle suggestion, John invited Barbara to come along to fill the vacancy. As John remembers it, Barbara flew in from New Orleans and rendezvoused with the Panama City folks at the San Juan airport. John watched Barbara gliding down the concourse towards their gate, smiling and waving greetings to him and her kinfolk, and John abruptly and quite unexpectedly became completely gobsmacked and totally smitten with Barbara, never to recover. After Kelly graduated from high school in 1988, Barbara’s natural charm, outgoing personality, charisma, and great looks afforded her the chance to embark on a career as a flight attendant with Piedmont Airlines, which quickly merged with USAir. Barbara enjoyed the experiences and challenges her new job presented to her, some of which notably served as fodder for delightful stories about the interesting (and funny) people she met while working. In May of 1989, roughly six months after Barbara began her new occupation, John and Barbara married in Southport, on the deck of their treehouse-style home overlooking Fannin Bayou, which they shared during their entire relationship. Throughout Kelly’s early life, Barbara cautioned Kelly that she should not rely upon Barbara to be the type of involved, wonderful Grandmommy that Barbara’s mother had been for Kelly. Reflecting on those admonitions now, it seems inconceivable that any such warnings were ever uttered; the instant Barbara’s twin granddaughters were born, so was the magnificent “BABA” (a play on her given name and a grandmother name that she was positive the girls would babble before “Ma-Ma” or “Da-Da”). Barbara was exactly right about the girls’ first words, but utterly mistaken about her grand-mothering skills. Along with John, Baba wholeheartedly became a constant in the rearing of “her loves” and was a helpful, selfless, loving, and wise counselor whose memory will forever be a beautiful blessing to the girls and to their parents. Throughout their time on Earth together, Barbara and John created a splendid life, composed of travel and adventures, often taking their kids and grandkids to various corners of the world, not just to be tourists, but also to snow ski, swim with whale sharks, cruise on the QE II, hike on glaciers and volcanic lava flows, zipline, fish, snorkel, almost get killed by a surfacing whale while halibut fishing, escape a rebel uprising in Ecuador, scuba dive, cross Australia on the Great Southern Rail, straddle the equator, witness the third tracked asteroid enter the atmosphere while on African safari, visit many designated UNESCO sites, caravan around Alaska and Australia in R.V.s, and take both ‘go-boat’ and ‘blow-boat’ trips to tropical locales to name a few; however, the couple was equally content just being at home in Southport or at Daniel Farm playing spirited games of Spades or Hearts together, a fire in the fireplace, with various loyal dogs at their feet. The respect, companionship, and affection Barbara and John each afforded the other in all things, and the real, true love they shared will forever remain an inspiration to all who were lucky enough to witness it. Barbara is survived by her devoted husband John Fletcher Daniel, daughter Kelly Lynn McIntosh Roberson and son-in-law Richard James “Jim” Roberson, Jr., and her granddaughters Stevens Leggett Roberson and Shelby McIntosh Roberson. Barbara also leaves behind her son John Francis “JD” Daniel (Cecelia Weld), grandson Christopher Brian Ingram, great-grandson Finley Bay Ingram, sister-in-law Frances "Mike" Daniel McConnell, niece and nephews Teresa “Terri” Lynn Reid Burdeshaw (Steve), Steven Craig Reid (Brenda), William James Zehner, Jr. (Catherine), Robert Lee McConnell, a neat circle of great and great-great nieces and nephews, as well as her first cousins whom she grew up with as sisters, Frieda “Tink” Smith Warren (Claude), Toni Smith Marshall, Joy Crenweldge Pruitt, and their special children and grandchildren. Barbara’s magnetic personality attracted many extraordinary friends over the years, and she loved her chosen comrades fiercely and loyally. As a result, Barbara was blessed to keep a plethora of precious people in her life (some dating back to preschool) whom she considered family. Although the names (and Barbara-generated nicknames) of this incredible cast of characters cannot possibly be listed here, this author harbors no doubt that “they” all know exactly who they are since Barbara was wonderfully adept at regularly reminding all her people how much she cared about them. Barbara was a flight one player at the Panama City Racquet Club for many years, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and she attended First United Methodist Church. Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Percy and Frieda Stevens; sister and brother-in[1]law (and extremely dear friends) Peggy “Lynda” and William “Bill” James Zehner, Sr.; daughter Christine Daniel Safdie; sister-in-law Patricia Jane Daniel; mother-in-law Hume Hinesley Daniel; niece Marsha “Kay” McConnell Schneider; nephew John Daniel McConnell, and great-nephew Robert Andrew “Drew” Schneider. Special thanks must be given to Steven Mullis, MD, at Cypress Medical, Bryan Davis, PT, DPT, at Excel Therapy, and to their respective fine staff members, and to Alexis “Lexi” Gibbs, with Comfort Keepers; without these extraordinarily selfless, patient folks, and John’s complete dedication, Barbara would not have had the pertinent tools she needed to keep fighting to stay here on Earth with us for as long as did. A reception celebrating Barbara’s life will be held in Battin Hall at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida, from four to six in the evening on Sunday, October 11, 2026. If you are so inclined, in Barbara’s honor and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Bahamas National Trust, a not-for-profit organization that helps protect Bahamian National Parks where John and Barbara spent countless happy hours aboard the “Zig-Zag” and the “First Star” with many of the people they loved, watching for white-tailed tropicbirds and competing to see who could spot the first star in the sky each evening. The link to the Bahamas National Trust, Inc. site is: https://bnt.bs/get-involved/donate