Barbara led a rich and varied life. In addition to her roles as daughter, wife, mother, friend and hostess extraordinaire she had three distinct careers. First she was a Geography teacher and a teacher trainer in Africa. A decade or so later she retrained as a special needs teacher, taught in post 16 education and managed a Special Needs Department. Finally she retrained again as a complementary therapist and combined a therapy career with significant contributions to the establishment and running of a self-help Centre for adults with emotional and learning difficulties in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. This website is a record and celebration of that life.
Tributes to Barbara after her death expressed gratitude for the love and support she had offered to those she touched. Relatives, friends, colleagues and clients all told of her generosity and empathy and the contribution it had made to their own lives. This website threads some of these through the account of her life.
We hope all visitors to the site will visit the Summary page and then follow links from that page to the period of her life in which they got to know and love her.
The site is still incomplete. Two pages are missing: an account of her social and family life after our return to England and a record of her 'second career' as a Special Needs teacher. I hope to add these pages soon.
CELEBRATING
BARBARA HERON
1946 - 2024
Barbara treasured this tribute given to her by the community of the Creative Living Centre when she left after 22 years of contributions to its development and growth. It had pride of place above her desk in our house initially in Parksway, Prestwich and later in Victoria Grove, Leeds and was still there when she passed away.
This website attempts to record some of the imprints she made on people's lives over the 78 years of her life.
Corrections, comments and suggestions will be considered for future publication.
OFFLINE TRIBUTES AND BARBARA'S 'BIRTHDAY' 2026
The first offline tribute, planted in time for 20th March 2025 was a magnolia bush in Barbara's garden in Leeds (See above). Over the next year arrangements were made for two further tributes in Prestwich.
20th March 2026 would have been Barbara's 80th birthday. On that day, husband George, daugters Rachel and Jennifer and grandaughter Kaia visited Prestwich.
THE BENCH IN HEATON PARK
In the morning we put flowers on the bench we have installed in Heaton Park.
THE FIRST BARBARA HERON MEMORIAL AWARD
AT THE CREATIVE LIVING CENTRE
In the afternoon we participated in the first Barbara Heron Memorial Award for Volunteers at the Creative Living Centre in Prestwich. The event celebrated the work of all 17 volunteers. Helen, who has worked in the kitchen for a number of years, was a popular choice. Amongst tributes to her from other members was the following: 'Helen is kind-hearted, listen to others and carries a non-judgemental attitude. We are pleased that the Award continues to promote the values of the Centre that Barbara promoted.
CONTACT ME
E-mail: george@heronba.info