Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan

November 10, 1943 - November 26, 2022

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Obituary

Madison - Barbara Kay (Buffy) Jordan died of heart complications at the University of Wisconsin Hospital on Saturday, November 26. Buffy was born on November 10, 1943, the daughter of Richard Post and Agnes McCoy Post, married her high school friend Bill Jordan on June 4, 1966, and lived most of her life in Madison, with periods of residence in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Reston, Virginia and Denton, Texas as Bill pursued a career in botany, and eventually returned to Madison to work as outreach manager at the UW Arboretum.

Barbara attended Blessed Sacrament elementary school, then Edgewood High School and Edgewood College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences. A victim of polio in 1952 in what turned out to be one of the last polio epidemics, she had a tough-minded, generous and cheerful disposition, worked for three years at the UW-Madison while Bill completed his graduate studies, and rarely complaining about the residuals of polio that lasted her whole life, or about anything else.

Though always insisting that she had no talent as an artist, she had an eye for visual arts, was adept at design, and developed skills for interior decoration, which she exercised on a succession of homes as she and Bill moved around the country and passed on to her son, Bill Jordan IV, a visual artist and writer living in Minneapolis.

She entered the hospital with shortness of breath early in the evening of Wednesday, November 23. There her doctor diagnosed the heart problems that caused her death Saturday afternoon, a few minutes after 4:00 p.m.

Loving, bright and interested, she will be sorely missed by her few surviving relatives, her husband Bill III and son Bill IV, and her many friends. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial for Barbara at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2116 Hollister Ave, Madison, at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 9, 2022, preceded by visitation at 10:00 a.m., and followed by internment at the Farley Center Natural Path Sanctuary in Verona.

Memorial gifts to Edgewood College will support the Sr. Esther Heffernan Scholarship. Gifts can be made payable and mailed to Edgewood College, Advancement Office, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711 or by selecting the designation of Sr. Esther Heffernan Scholarship online at https://www.edgewood.edu/give/give-now.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Service 5701 Odana Road 608-274-1000

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Barbara
SG
susan girolamo
Other •
My best friend since fifth grade. She will be so missed.
CD
Connie Darling
Other •
Buff, so beautiful in every way. We've shared so very much in the last 72 years since 1st grade at Blessed Sacrament where you lead all of us girls, running to catch up with you, back & forth on the B.S. parking lot playground. We were frightened when polio took our beloved leader away from us in 3rd grade. When were allowed to visit you, we saw the light radiating from an unbroken spirit. With remarkable courage and dedicated intellectual ability you graduated from Edgewood with us, always full of fun, never missing a beat. You & I & Bill worked as servants to the Lord & Sister Mildredine's cafeteria, to help pay for our tuition. Sister & I conspired to get you two together & Hallelujah! We did it! I remember well, jumping up & down with her, by the prep table, in our joy. On though UW, we made it with our grants & scholarships & encouraging regular meet ups at the Union. Finally the blessed wedding came as did a miracle baby, William Jordan the fourth! Dearest Buffy, thank you for your inspirational life, your devotion & compassionate spirit to make everyone around you feel cared for & understood, and especially for being my kindred spirit. We will meet again My Friend. Connie
SR
Susan Boyd Bollig Meyers Rodgers
Other •
My sincere condolences on Buffy's passing..
VM
Veryl Miller
Other •
Buffy will be greatly missed. We have been friends for nearly 50 yrs and I will miss our conversations greatly. Rest In Peace my dear friend. Veryl
NL
Nancy Holmes Lucas
Other •
I can still remember Buffy being my Confirmation sponsor, good friend, cousin and all the fun times we had in Madison. Memories of the Post home, picnics, the zoo trips and biweekly visits to all in Madison will always hold a special place in my heart. My sympathy to Bill and Billy. Love, Nancy "Holmes"
MK
Mary L. (Lauby) Karas
Other •
My deepet sympathy to husband Bill and son Bill. Buffy's cheerfulness and cleverness will be missed by many. May she rest in peace. May all those special memories be shared bringing comfort and love to you all. Mary (Lauby) Karas

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