Barbara Jean Schwanitz, 91, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 5, at Boardman Lake  Glens, Traverse City.

Born on February 20, 1931, to Ernest and Edna (Wilcox) Titus, Barbara was the youngest of  four children and spent her childhood in and around the Lansing area, graduating from Everett  High School in 1949.

While working a summer job at Pointe Aux Barques near Port Austin, Michigan, she met and  fell in love with Joseph Schwanitz. They were married "on the coldest day of the year" in  Detroit on February 3, 1951, beginning their life together honeymooning at Niagara Falls.

Barb and Joe started in Detroit, but soon settled in Marine City, Michigan, to live and raise their  family. Barbara spent her life as a devoted wife, mother, and friend, guided by her faith in God.  In addition to keeping a warm and inviting home, she played golf, enjoyed painting, travel,  reading, and playing backgammon with her friend, Dee Dee Stockwell. She sought and  enjoyed the personal connections found in groups, whether studying her Catholic faith,  volunteering at her children's schools, taking painting classes, or just socializing with the many  dear friends and family members she and Joe shared together. She helped nurture a  neighborhood of children in the baby boom era with other stay-at-home moms. It was a  wonderful place to grow up.

Barb and Joe retired to Port Austin in 1998, making their condo a welcoming gathering place  for friends and family. Here, she continued her artwork and nurtured new friendships through  joining local activities. Besides many travel adventures both near and far, they spent winters

together in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and then Destin, Florida. She lost Joe, her husband  and best friend, in 2017. After relocating to Boardman Lake Glens that same year, Barbara  eventually became a well loved resident in that caring place, happy to participate, always  grateful, always with a smile.

Barbara is survived by her five children, Joan (Phil) Richardson, Brian (Marylinn) Schwanitz,  Susan (Steve) Timms, Mary Kay (Paul) Gwinn, and Kevin (Pauline) Schwanitz. Also surviving  are eleven beloved grandchildren, Dan and Jeff Richardson, Erin Heiser, Chris Schwanitz,  Allyson Patterson, Meredith Staggers, Emily and Caitlin Gwinn, and Kyle, Ryan and Erika  Schwanitz. In addition, there are eleven (and counting) great-grandchildren along with many  nieces and nephews.

The family is being cared for by Knoblock Funeral Home in Kinde, Mi. Interment will take place  at St. Michael Cemetery in Port Austin with a mass and memorial gathering planned for  Saturday, June 25, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution in honor of her  memory may be made to Hospice of Michigan ( hom.org) .