May 6, 1938–April 29, 2025
A resident of Harbor’s Edge Norfolk, Virginia, Barbara passed away on April 29, 2025 surrounded by family.
Born with a congenital heart condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot (Blue Baby disease), she lived “way beyond years she thought possible,” with the advances of medicine and the medical savvy of her physician father and then her physician husband, Barbara thrived and was probably the oldest living Tetralogy of Fallot patient. At ten years of age, she was within the first group of 100 children to have the Blalock/Taussig Shunt procedure when it went beyond laboratory experiments at Johns Hopkins University. Then at thirty-nine years of age, Barbara survived the first attempt at total correction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Her final, successful total correction was achieved at seventy-two years of age at Boston Children/Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.
Barbara was born in Los Angeles, Calif., during her father’s medical training. Her parents then returned to their childhood village of Freeport, Long Island, N.Y. Her flight surgeon father was drafted in WWII. With his return from overseas, the family moved to Texas, where Barbara joined other “Army brats” in her early school years; returning once again to Freeport, where Barbara completed her schooling. A prominent artist in high school, Barbara attended Syracuse University School of Art for two years, before marrying pre-med student Gary Lee Schechter. Barbara’s educational desires varied. She went to the New York School of Interior Design, obtaining an interior design license. When her children started high school, Barbara went back to school, attending Old Dominion University and falling in love with English. She graduated with a BA, then an MBA in English. Barbara then went on to do freelance medical editing and writing. She was a recognized medical editor in textbooks and was an award-winning author in sailing magazines. All her life she continued with art, enjoying most success with palette-knife oil painting. Reading was her passion, especially British literature.
Barbara deeply loved her husband Gary, and spent 60 years with him camping, sailing, and enjoying country life in their special farmhouse in Mathews County, Va. Upon retiring to Florida, Barbara and Gary enjoyed the beautiful weather and traveled with their motor home until Gary’s death in September 2018. A true dog lover, she cherished each one of the nine rescues she had throughout her life.
Barbara leaves behind her adored three children, Jordana Schechter Efland (Michael), Stefan Schechter Rosenberg (Paul), and Rick Schechter (Sandy), ten grandchildren, Jessica Efland, Matthew Efland (Brittany), Elizabeth Rosenberg Levy (Joe), Jacob Rosenberg (Hannah), Kristina Skeen, Kait-lyn Schechter and Jack Schechter; three great-grandchildren, Rose, Noah and Jonah; sister, Karen Stapf, and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at Altmeyer Funeral Home in Virginia Beach on Rouse Drive on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at noon with a luncheon immediately following the service. Burial will be private. The family will sit Shiva at the home of Jordie and Michael Efland, 624 Sam Snead Lane, Virginia Beach 23462 on Monday 5/26/25 and Tuesday 5/27/25 from 6-8p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to WHRO by going to www.tmcfunding.com or the Norfolk SPCA by going to www.tmcfunding.com.
Please also consider being an organ donor. Condolences may be left online at www.altmeyerfh.com.