Barbara E. Hoover

Barbara Hoover, 89, died on Thursday, May 11, 2023, in her apartment under hospice care with her family by her side.

Barbara was born in Moline, IL, to Howard and Louella West in 1933. Her father died when she was very young, but Louella soon met and married a wonderful man Charles Podaril whom she lovingly called "daddy" for the rest of her life. She had one brother Jack and two sisters, Patricia and Joyce. The family of six grew up in the "Fruitland" neighborhood of Moline, IL playing with nearby family and friends like "The Bullers" and "The McSparins." She was also known for writing many short stories, which she continued to write throughout her life.

Soon after graduating from Moline High School in 1951, she moved out to Los Angeles. She had many fun experiences and visited her brother, Jack, who was stationed at Camp Cooke, now renamed Vandenburg AFB, California. Little did she know that her future husband, Paul Hoover, was also stationed there for a time and knew Jack from school. She met Paul in Rock Island with her brother Jack and sister Patty singing in Jack's band. Paul and Barb were married in 1955 in Moline. They led a happy life and raised two boys, Mike and Joe, while both worked at the Arsenal. She often traveled to Florida to see her sister Joyce and mother Louella; camped with her family on trips to the Rocky Mountains; was a den mother for the cub scouts; and flew on business trips as a cataloguer to military installations. She loved oil painting and became very proficient and locally famous in the Quad Cities, winning multiple awards and selling many of her paintings in the QC area and Chicago. She is well known for her colorful, impressionistic renditions of stunning landscapes and still life following the style of John Constable. She worked almost solely with oil, feeling that the medium allowed her to manipulate the paint to convey movement, impart vivid color, and exact sharp contrast. She also exhibited flamingo sculptures in many Flamingo Follies at the Quad Cities Botanical Center, winning many of them. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren with artwork and games and passing on family recipes of homemade noodles and chocolate fudge.

Her Celebration of Life service will be on June 2, 2023, at Wendt Funeral Home in Moline, IL. Visitation will begin at 9 am, with the service at 11 am. Burial services will shortly follow at the Rock Island Arsenal National Cemetery.

She is survived by her two sisters Patricia Mock and Joyce Condrack (Jim); and by her two children Michael Hoover (Cathy Skala) Cullman, AL; Joseph Hoover (Michelle) Girard, IL; and by her four grandchildren, Kacie, Tegan, Jenna, and Zach.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Hoover; her father, Howard West; her step-father Charles Podaril and mother, Louella Podaril; and her brother Jack West.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and express condolences on her Memory Page at wendtfuneralhome.com