Barbara Hagadone Kloet

Kloet, Barbara (Osborne/Hagadone) Of Kalamazoo Barb passed away Wednesday, May 10th at Rose Arbor Hospice Residence. Born June 1, 1928 in Battle Creek, the only child of Lelia (Hart) and Ray Osborne, she grew up with her extended family members up and down Central Street. Following high school graduation, she worked as a Bell Telephone switchboard operator, then in 1949, Barbara married Tom Hagadone in 1994 and moved to Kalamazoo, where they built a home and raised two sons. In the late 60s, as a divorced single mother, she took bookkeeping classes, got a job at Otto Kihm Tire Company, then moved to the position of assistant credit manager for the internationally known, Kalamazoo-based Shakespeare Sporting Goods Company. She was so proficient that, on the retirement of the credit manager, Barbara was awarded that title despite management's serious misgivings about a woman "holding the purse-strings" within an industry perceived as a male domain. Following Shakespeare to South Carolina when it relocated its headquarters there, she felt at home among the pines that reminded her of vacation days spent at the Upper Peninsula cabin her father built. Her next home was on Lake of the Ozarks, to work for a smaller Missouri-based sporting goods distributor. Zebco, headquartered in Tulsa, then recruited her to be a short-term manager/consultant to pass on her skills to their credit department. Barbara returned to Kalamazoo in the late 80s to enjoy the company of her young granddaughters, sons and daughter-in-law and sew beautiful clothing for them. She bought a house on the same street where she'd raised her own family, surrounded again by many former neighbor friends. In 1993, Barb married one such neighbor, Richard (Dick) Kloet, each blessing the other's retirement years with much affection, companionship and adventure. There were trips to the East coast, to northern Michigan and a six-week excursion to and through much of Alaska, camping in their self-customized van. When their bodies began to fail them, their affection did not: there were still picnics with scenic views and hand-holding, even if mobility issues kept them from leaving the car. Barb is survived by her husband Richard, her sons Tom Hagadone (Pamela Miller) and Jerry Hagadone, special family friend Marilyn Howard, granddaughters Kate Hagadone (Lochlan O'Leary), Jeanne Hagadone (Stephen Kemsley), great-grandson Rowan O'Leary, stepdaughters Kathy Stapert, Karen (Joel) Boot, and Kris (Tom) Hammernik, many step-grand and great-grandchildren. Special thanks to Pastor Bill Fernhout, Herm and Jean Visker and many other caring members of Westwood Christian Reformed Church, as well as to the nurses and nursing assistants at Rose Arbor. On Wednesday, May 18th, friends may visit with Barb's family from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at Westwood Christian Reformed Church, 620 Northampton Rd, Kalamazoo. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. The family suggests any memorial contributions be directed to Westwood CRC or Hospice of Southwest Michigan.