Barbara L. Stross

Barbara Lee Stross, known by her friends and family as Barb, of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, after a brief illness at the Mercy Hospital Anderson. She was eighty years old.

Barb was born June 17, 1941, to James and Helen Watchorn in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of three children. Her brother Robert Watchorn preceded her in death earlier this year. She is survived by her younger brother Jack and his wife Sheryl of Kimberling, Missouri. She grew up in Mt. Lebanon Pennsylvania and graduated from Mount Lebanon High School. She attended Pennsylvania State University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1966. She was active in both student government and the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.

Barb married in 1962 and began her adult life as a Navy Officers wife in Virginia. She was very active in her community earning an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Loyal Assistance from the Navy Supply Corps School and was the Chairman of the Hospitality Committee of the NSCS Navy Officers Wives club in 1963. Barb was blessed with four children. She is survived by her three sons; Gregory A. Mather, Geoffrey E. Mather and his wife Kathy, James M. Mather and his wife Lisa and her daughter Melinda L. Wheat and her husband Scott. She is also survived by four beloved grandchildren, Elizabeth, Ella, Jacob, and Samuel.

In 1974, Barb moved to Fairfield, Ohio and began her professional career. She had a passion for the law and began working as a paralegal with the law firm of Graydon Head & Ritchey. In 2000, Barb left the firm and started her own business, Mather, Stross and Associates, where she provided a variety of services including tax preparation, probate and trust administration, and bookkeeping. She enjoyed her work and never retired.

Barb was sweet, humble, compassionate and extremely loving to her family, friends and clients. She could be described as a woman of many interests, who was beloved by her family. She was particularly dedicated to her faith and her community at the Anderson Hills United Methodist Church where she volunteered in a variety of contexts; including both leadership and service roles.

The family is planning a visitation and memorial on Monday March 7, 2022 at the Anderson Hills United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin at 9:00am with a Memorial Service following at 10:00am. If you wish, a memorial contribution can be made to the Anderson Hills United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Please direct any condolences to TP White Funeral Home in Cincinnati, Ohio.