Barbara Jean (Wickstrom) Zackowitz
Oct 25, 1933 -
Jul 1, 2020
Barbara Jean (Wickstrom) (Nelson) Zackowitz began her life in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Oct. 25, 1933, as the only child of Emil and Ellen (Langstrom)Wickstrom. She passed away peacefully from Parkinson's disease on July 1, 2020, in The Woodlands, Texas.
She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and loyal friend and will be dearly missed. In 1952, she married Ssgt. Raymond Nelson while he was stationed at Ladd Air Force Base. They had three daughters: Linda, Karen and Laurie. After their divorce, she and her daughters moved back to Fairbanks in 1960. She met and married Walter "Zack" Zackowitz - the absolute love of her life - in 1963. In 1965, their daughter, Cindy, was born. They raised their family in Fairbanks, until moving to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1971. Barbara worked as a bookkeeper for Alaska Wholesale until her retirement in 1991. After Zack retired, they moved to Southern California for a short while, before settling in Sun City West, Ariz., until 2019.
They took many vacations to Hawaii. While in California and Arizona, they especially enjoyed taking road trips, boating and spending time with friends and family. After Zack passed away in 2019, Barbara moved to The Woodlands, to be near her daughter, Laurie.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Ellen Wickstrom; her husband, Walter "Zack" Zackowitz; and her daughter, Cindy Zackowitz. Barbara is survived by her daughters, Linda (Don) Ilgenfritz of Fairbanks, Karen (Bill) West of Juneau, Alaska, and Laurie (Lance) Leibole of Spring, Texas; her grandson, Scott (Ivory) Ilgenfritz of Fairbanks; grandson, Emil (Rebecca) West of Seattle, Wash.; grandson, Nick West of Los Angeles, Calif.; granddaughter, Liana (John) Andrews of Eagle River, Alaska; and five great-grandchildren, soon to be six
The family would like to acknowledge the staff and caregivers at The Auberge of The Woodlands and Devotion Hospice for the extra special care they provided Barbara.
Barbara will be laid to rest next to her devoted husband, Zack, at the Northern Lights Memorial Park in Fairbanks, where both her parents and her daughter Cindy are also. There will be no public service during this complicated time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society, or the charity of your choice.
