Barbara June Bates (Thrash) passed away on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at her home.

  She was born on August 28, 1946, in Newark, New Jersey, and lived in Brick Township, NJ, for 50 years. She was a school bus driver for 27 years in Wall Township, NJ, before graduating from Georgian Court College (now University) in 2001. She taught school in Lakewood, Toms River, and Long Branch before retiring in 2008 as an English as a second language teacher. She was active in the First Presbyterian Church in Manasquan, NJ, as a nursery caregiver and youth club contributor. Barbara also helped as a substitute den mother helping her husband, Thomas, who was cubmaster of pack 47 in Brick, NJ. She was active in Georgian Court College as President of Kappa Zeta, a division of Alpha Sigma Lambda, a re-entry level fraternity that helped adult students, mostly women, who were working on degrees for a better career. She was President of the local AFCSME (American Federation of County, State, and Municipal Employees) in Wall Township for several years. In Georgian Court College, she was awarded the Alfred A Driscoll Award for loyalty, service, and scholarship.

  Barbara was preceded in death by her mother, Claire Kennedy, and father, Ed Thrash; and her brother-in-law Jeffrey Bates.

She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Thomas Lincoln Bates; her children, Mark and his wife Rosegyn, Virginia, Thomas and his wife Victoria, and Richard; and her ten grandchildren, Brandi, Lacey, Holly, Kenny, Madde, Gabriel, Will, Benjamin, Teagan, and Maxine. Also surviving are her sister-in-law Sally Bates; niece Katie and her husband Corey, and their children Delaney and Ethan; and nephew Sean and his fiancé Jeanna.

 Barbara’s funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at Preddy Funeral Home in Gordonsville. Her family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Interment is to follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Gordonsville.