Barbara Ann Horan (née Brush) passed away peacefully on Monday, June 13, 2022, surrounded by her loving family in Scottsdale, AZ. She is survived by her husband of 40 years John, her son Jay of Scottsdale, and her son and daughter-in-law Ryan and Elisabeth of Playa Vista, CA. She is also survived by her sister Debbie.

Barbara was born at Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, NJ on August 7, 1954, to George E. and Patricia Conover Brush. She grew up on Conover Lane in Red Bank and attended grammar school and high school in Middletown. She attended Rollins College and graduated from Drew University in 1978.

After graduating, Barbara entered a career in retail management and buying, working at Macy’s/Bamberger’s, Hills department store, and Gimbel’s, where she met her husband John in the buying office in New York City. Barbara and John went on their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1981 and were married on December 19, 1981. After their first son, Jay was born, Barbara devoted her life to her sons as a full-time mom. She was a wonderful and loving mom – she cherished her sons and loved raising them in Shrewsbury, NJ.

In 2008, Barbara was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer. She put up a tremendous fight, undergoing two stem cell transplants and multiple rounds of chemotherapy over the next few years. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with colon cancer and once again fought with her characteristically calm and caring spirit, through further rounds of chemotherapy. She never gave up, waking up every morning with a smile on her face and never a complaint.

She loved spending time with her husband and sons more than anything else. Fritz, her faithful Dachshund, never left her side. Barbara loved sitting on the terrace with Fritz and John while enjoying the view of the McDowell Mountains, listening to the waterfall, and watching the hummingbirds.

Friends and family will be invited to a celebration of Barbara’s life in New Jersey later this year. Barbara will be buried alongside several generations of family in Fairview Cemetery in Middletown, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, the family highly encourages donations to be made in Barbara’s memory to Hospice of the Valley, a not-for-profit organization in Phoenix, and/or the International Myeloma Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure.

Hospice of the Valley: https://www.hov.org/donate/donate-now/

International Myeloma Foundation (IMF): https://secure.myeloma.org/barbarahoran