Obituary of Barbara McClain

Barbara McClain, 83, of Aventura, Florida, formerly of Riverview Court, Morgantown, passed away Wednesday, August 19, 2020. Barbara was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, July 30, 1937, the daughter of the late John Thomas Findlay and Betty Sue (“Snowie”) Dulaney Findlay. She had fond memories of her parents’ garden on South Park Hill, her grandmother’s horses, Barney and Duke, pet ducks that followed her to school, and a summer spent in nearby woods with neighborhood friends daily excavating a hole that later became the foundation for a house. Barbara graduated in 1955 from Morgantown High School, where she met her husband of 58 years, the late J. Robert (“Bob”) McClain. Their first date was the annual West Virginia Day dance, and they married September 8, 1955. Barbara worked for more than 50 years for the Monongalia County School Board, first as a secretary at Riverside Junior High School and then at Morgantown Junior High School. She served as President of the Monongalia County School Service Personnel Association during the early 1980s and was the lead plaintiff in successful class litigation that won pay for service personnel that had been approved by the public but withheld. Later in her career, Barbara served as the Coordinator of Board Services in conjunction with four successive superintendents. Following Bob’s passing, Barbara moved to Aventura in 2016 and was a resident of the Vi at Aventura community until her passing. Barbara was an avid reader of histories and fiction. Her other special enthusiasms included gardening, cultivating orchids, birdwatching, stargazing, classical and romantic music, soccer, basketball and football (with a special commitment to the West Virginia University Mountaineers), and socially progressive politics. She was deeply committed to her home state of West Virginia and its rich historical heritage. Barbara is survived by her daughter Linda Lutman of Aventura, Florida; grandsons Jason Albright of Washington, D.C., Matthew Veltri, of San Antonio, Texas, and their spouses Roberto Ruiz and Hayley Miller Veltri; great-grandson Luca James Veltri of San Antonio, Texas; sisters Joan Jarrett of Gainesville, Virginia, Shirley Findlay of Ocean Pines, Maryland, and Jane Olexa of Cheat Lake, West Virginia; and brother John (“Bud”) Findlay of Williamsburg, Virginia, among others. Cremation services have been provided in Florida. Barbara will be laid to rest with her husband, Robert, at Lawnwood Cemetery at a date to be released. Donations in Barbara’s memory may be made to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund at https://covid19responsefund.org/en/ or to the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund at https://app.mobilecause.com/e/-4_68A?vid=apap9. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com.