Barbara Rich Murbach

Barbara Rich Murbach of Crooked Lake in Alanson, Michigan, and Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in Petoskey, Michigan on Sunday, August 14, 2016.

Barbara was born May 23, 1936, in Archbold, Ohio, to Vivian Frey Rich and Lester Rich.  She grew up in Archbold and attended Earlham College and Bowling Green State University, earning a B.A. in music.

Barbara was predeceased by her husband of 34 years, Edwin Andrew Murbach, also of Archbold.

Barbara had many passions, including her family, music, gardening, playing bridge, and sharing her gifts and vitality with others as an active community volunteer.  A piano teacher for more than 35 years, Barbara nurtured the talents of, and shared the joy of music with, hundreds of young people—many of whom went on to further musical study.   It was not unusual for former students to send her letters in their adulthood, letting her know they’d just bought their first pianos.  A vivacious, outgoing, and caring person, Barbara made friends easily and never missed a chance to help someone in need.

Barbara was a member of the Bay View Association in Petoskey, Michigan, the Chagrin Valley Women’s Club, and Epworth United Methodist Church in Toledo, Ohio.  She began attending the Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, when she moved there in 2011.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Barbara’s memory to the Bay View Music Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 583, Petoskey, Michigan, 49770, or to Hiland Cottage Hospice Center, 1 Hiland Drive, Petoskey, Michigan, 49770.

Barbara is survived by her brother, John Rich of Bluffton, Ohio; and by her two daughters and their families:  Debra and Mitch Howell of Plano, Texas, and their daughter, Katelin, 23, of Chicago, Illinois; Julia and Jeff Healy of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and their children Andrew, 18, and Emma, 15.

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