Barbara Gale Decius

Barbara Gale Decius, 77, of Waco, died Sunday, October 2, 2016 at Ridgecrest Retirement Center in Waco.

Barbara is survived by her loving husband, Thomas Decius, of Waco; her sons, Steve Kuykendall of Oklahoma, Claude “George” Gray and his wife, LisaMarie, of Waco and John McDonald, his wife, Joey, and son, Justin McDonald, of New Braunfels. She was preceded in death by her brother, Donald Kiser; her sister, Charlene Kiser Neumeyer; and her parents, Charles and Hattie Kiser.

Barbara was born on March 29, 1939, in Sonora, Texas, to Charles and Hattie Kiser. Barbara grew up in Van Horn, Texas, and Del Rio. At the young age of 8 years old, Barbara suffered the loss of her mother, Hattie Kiser, to cancer. She was raised by her father and her aunt.

Barbara volunteered countless hours at the Del Rio Little League where she was a board member for many years. In her professional life, Barbara was recognized as a problem solver and trouble shooter and was known for her efficiency and tremendous work ethic. She was employed for many years in management at Handy Andy grocery stores in Del Rio, and then concluded her career as a Customer Service Manager at the Laughlin Air Force Base Commissary where she served for 18 years. It was there she met the love of her life, Tom Decius, who was also employed at the base. They were married on July 5, 1998, in New Braunfels and then relocated to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where they spent many happy years together in retirement. Barbara loved spending time with her husband, their two cats, and their dog.

She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Barbara was a larger than life personality and force to be reckoned with. She valued hard work, honesty, and integrity above all else, and always put the needs of others before her own. She was deeply loved by her family and will be sadly missed.

Graveside service and interment of ashes: 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Sunset Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Del Rio.

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