Barbara S. Haxton's Obituary
HAXTON, Barbara Simpson, age 92, of Waynesville, passed away on Saturday, May 16, 2026, after a brief illness at Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties.
Barbara was born in St. Louis, MO, on May 21, 1933, the only child of Elizabeth Smythe Simpson and Wesley Oscar Simpson. Her paternal grandparents raised Barb, and she grew up attending St. Louis schools and received a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in 1955. Barbara married Dale Haxton in June of 1955, and they lived in a wide range of locations from coast to coast, ultimately settling in Dayton, Ohio, in the mid-1960s.
The Haxtons moved to Waynesville, OH, in 1974 when their oldest daughter discovered horses, and Barbara got involved in farm life and the horse passion. She was a 4-H leader in Warren County for over 20 years and served on the Ohio State University 4-H Horse Committee for over ten years. She was an active member and leader in the Central States Horse Show Association for more than 20 years. During those years, Barbara also became a certified 4-H horse judge through the OSU 4-H horse program and was a popular 4-H Horse judge across Ohio for over a decade.
In the mid 1970’s, Barb went to work as the director of the Head Start program in Warren County, and that led to over 40 years of dedication to amazing work with children and families that Barbara valued greatly. During those years, Barbara earned a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development and gained certifications in a wide range of human resource and organizational development programs. Consequently, her work in Head Start was well known and highly regarded; her consulting skills took her to nearly every state in the union, where she worked with the federal Head Start program. In her role as an advocate for Head Start, she gained cordial access to both state legislators and members of Congress. She worked closely with leaders in both political parties. Barbara was a well-known hugger in the halls of Congress. She and a close colleague organized a leadership development institute in Vail, CO, each summer, a highly valued training event which was attended by several hundred early childhood leaders over a span of 14 years. Most meaningfully, Barbara considered her experiences and time working in Head Start, and the opportunities that allowed her to engage closely with such a diverse group of professionals and families, to be a unique gift, and the friends she made and kept along the way gave deep meaning to her life. Barbara strongly believed in the inherent value of every person and treated everyone she encountered accordingly.
Barb was a talented “crafter” and enjoyed many creative pursuits throughout her life. She was a gifted seamstress and needleworker who especially enjoyed sewing, embroidery, crochet work, and beadwork. She lovingly made each of her daughters’ wedding dresses by hand and often traveled with sewing or beading projects while attending conferences and advocacy trips connected to her Head Start work.
An avid reader throughout her life, Barbara would read just about anything she could get her hands on and deeply valued education and literacy. She loved cooking and entertaining and was happiest gathered around the dinner table with her children and grandchildren, sharing meaningful conversations and laughter. For many years, Barb also hosted large Christmas Eve gatherings for her extended family, a tradition that became one of the family’s most cherished memories.
Barbara was also a devoted fan of THE Ohio State Buckeyes and the Waynesville Spartans. She especially loved supporting the Waynesville girls' soccer team and rarely missed a game while her son-in-law coached the team.
Barbara is survived by her four children, Melissa Miller, Corry Benson (Pamela) Haxton, Alison Mount, Cady Bunn, and a very special son-in-law, Brian Bunn; eight grandchildren, Lt Col. Justin (Wendy) Miller, Matthew (Rachel) Miller, Dr. Suzanne (Dr. Rusell) Sakai, Lauren (Kyle) Heslop, Capt. Alexander (Elyse) Mount, Erin Bunn, Zach Mount (Madi Kreck), Kevin (Gabby) Haxton; two step-grandchildren, Michael Mount and Victoria Mount; six great-grandchildren, August Miller, Brady Miller, Callum Miller, Owen Miller, Eli Miller, and Cooper Heslop.
The family will receive friends from 11 am - 1 pm on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home in Waynesville. Funeral services will be at 1 pm on Thursday at the funeral home. Matthew Letts will be officiating. Burial will be at Miami Cemetery, Corwin. Following the graveside service, a reception will be at the Red Brick Social Room in Waynesville. If you are attending, please honor a last wish of hers and wear bright, colorful clothing. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to your local county Head Start program or your local county 4-H program in Barbara’s name. If you need help in finding your local Head Start program, please call 937-435-1113 or email [email protected]. Search online for The Ohio 4-H Foundation; Foundation tab; Areas of Support tab, and find your county. Condolences may be sent to the family at https://www.stubbsconner.com.
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