(December 4, 1925 – June 25, 2025)
Vivian Barbee, a cherished wife, devoted mother, proud grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2025, surrounded by generations of loved ones who were blessed by her presence and shaped by her love.
Vivian was born on December 4, 1925, in Alton, Illinois to Paul Lotton and Ruth Olivia White Lotton. At the age of 15, her family moved to Dublin, Texas — the place that would become her lifelong home. She graduated from Dublin High School, where she met and married J. Worth Barbee. The two were married on July 10, 1943, beginning a marriage that spanned 53 years and was marked by deep love, mutual respect, and unwavering commitment until Worth’s passing in 1996.
Together, they built a life rooted in faith, family, and hard work on the Barbee farm in Edna Hill. There, they raised four daughters Jo Barbee (deceased), Deborah and Richard Zachry, Gaye and Ancel Yarbrough, and Kim and Mark Stone, instilling in them the same values of kindness, resilience, and grace that Vivian carried throughout her life. Her legacy continued to grow with 11 grandchildren Ronda and Mark Owen, Michael and Stacey Hudson, Robin Hudson, Amy Alexander, Mitzi Zachry, Angela and Brent Black, Jason and Lindsey Yarbrough, Marcie and Jesse Ontiveros, Jeremy Yarbrough and Kali Smith, Tyler and Sommer Stone, and Miles and Shaina Stone, 22 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren, and multiple nieces and nephews, each of whom brought her immeasurable joy and pride.
Vivian was the heart of her family — the steady, gentle matriarch of the family. Her house was filled with love, unwavering support, and the kind of strength that built generations. Her influence will echo for years to come through the lives of her family.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Worth; her oldest daughter, Jo Barbee.
Visitation will be held Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 1:00pm at the First Baptist Church in Dublin, Texas with services to follow at 2:00pm. Interment at Barbee Cemetery.
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