Barbara Nell Fisher French

Barbara Nell Fisher French, born in Salt Lake City on April 27, 1931, was the first child of Nell Barton Wetzel and Elsworth Barr Fisher. She was independent from the start and spent her childhood roaming the neighborhood to visit all the nearby relatives who opened their homes to her. Later, she attended both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University—and used to say, “I liked the U, but I loved the Y”—before moving to Los Angeles for several years. She was always outgoing, and everywhere she went, she made lifelong friends.

Barbara returned to Utah in 1956, and met Darrel Lew French just a few months later. Their first date was to see The Ten Commandments. Darrel proposed in June, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple just three months later, on September 13, 1957.

After the wedding, Barbara and Darrel moved back to southern California so that Darrel could get his master’s degree. They were so poor that Barbara had to get a $5 advance on her first paycheck so that they could both afford the bus tokens they needed to get to and from work. A child of the Great Depression, Barbara had an incredible work ethic, and believed that if a job had to be done, the best thing to do was simply roll up her sleeves and get it done. She spent several years as a homemaker, raising her three beloved children, Lisa, Linette, and Brian. Once all three were in school, however, the economic difficulties of the 1970s made it necessary for Barbara to again return to work. She never complained; she just kept right on going until 2009, when she finally retired at age 78.

Above all else, Barbara was a woman overflowing with love. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved Christmas. She loved musicals and Agatha Christie mysteries. She loved road trips, visiting National Parks, and driving through the mountains to see the leaves change color. She loved her little red car. She loved people. In recent years, her memory began to fade, and she sometimes struggled to recognize faces. But she greeted everyone the same, even people she was meeting for the first time: “It’s so good to see you again. I sure do love you.”

Barbara’s dear husband, Darrel, passed away on July 19, 2023, going in advance to prepare a place for both of them. Barbara joined him on August 22, 2023. Although both are dearly missed, their family is grateful that they were parted for just one month. Barbara is survived by her three children, Lisa, Linette (Peter), and Brian; her four grandchildren, Christian (Michael), Alexa (BJ), Brittany (Dylan), and Dillon (Katie); and her five—soon to be seven—great-grandchildren. A joint funeral for Darrel and Barbara will be held at 1:30 p.m. on September 23, 2023, at the Millcreek Canyon Ward, 3640 East Millstream Lane, Millcreek, Utah 84109.