06/17/2022
This is Rebecca, Barb’s daughter. I am heartbroken to share that my mom passed away on Monday surrounded in love by her children. She was diagnosed with leukemia in February and we were gearing up for a stem cell transplant. After her last round of chemo, when her immune system was most compromised, she encountered a drug resistant invasive and opportunistic fungus. It took weeks to identify it and we immediately got her in a clinical trial for an experimental treatment, but it was too late. She suffered a devastating brain bleed that was unrecoverable. She raised us with such care… we will miss her and love her forever.
ROULETTE- Cherished wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, Barbara Jean Afman Houwer, 68, of Kim Hill Rd., passed away Monday (June 13, 2022) at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA surrounded by her children and held in love.
Born May 20, 1954, in Denver, CO, she was a daughter of Neal John Afman and Bernice Kooi Afman. On Aug. 23, 1975, in Denver, CO, she married her sweetheart Gerhardus “Jerry” Houwer, of York, Ontario, who survives.
Barbara was a graduate of Denver Christian High School, Denver, CO, class of 1972, and attended Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI where she met her devoted and beloved husband Jerry and they began their life journey together, building a warm and welcoming home and raising five children who will love her forever. She was a resident of the area for 45 years where she was blessed with dear friendships and spent many years supporting elderly people in the community.
Barbara was open-hearted, creative, quick-witted, kind and generous. Her compassionate, accepting, encouraging and playful spirit brought comfort, happiness and peace to those who knew her. Full of colour, song and impressive dance moves, Barbara found inspiration in the beauty of the world, which she found everywhere, and responded in counterpoint with endless creativity. Her philosophy of ‘living lightly’ and with beauty found its public outlet through “Barbara’s Creations” where she sold her upcycled creations at the local farmer’s market, artisan craft fairs, online and at local venues. She delighted in her grandchildren and was always thinking of fun ways to engage them including authoring five significant installments of “the Houwer Saga” which featured the children as characters (she also did this for Denver nieces and nephews). She was an avid reader and writer who always had a puzzle on the go and routinely claimed Scrabble championships at family gatherings.
Barbara was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church, Port Allegany, where she served on the Pastoral relations committee, was a member of Women’s Ministries, taught the Adult Sunday school class, and led the youth group and children’s sermons for several years.
Surviving in addition to her husband Jerry, is a daughter, Rebecca T. (Samuel) Houwer of Toronto, Canada; two sons, Seth C. (Katherine) Houwer of Dundas, Ontario, Canada, Joel B. (Beth) Houwer of Aurora, CO; Mystic Fourness of Forest City, NC and Damien Fourness of Humphrey, NY; five grandchildren: Asa Kaufman, Isabelle, Gabriel, Owen, and Grant Houwer; a sister, Donna (Bruce) DeBoer of Traverse City, MI; two brothers, Mark (Jane) Afman and David (Arden) Afman both of Denver, CO; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Friends and family are invited to a Celebration of Life for Barbara on July 31, 2022 at 3pm at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Port Allegany. Barbara loved wildflowers. In lieu of formal flower arrangements, Barbara would love bouquets of wildflowers or flowers tended by friends and loved ones in their garden at her ceremony.
The family would appreciate memorials in her name be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Port Allegany Evangelical Covenant Church.
