Barbara Robinson Blesh Edelmann (82) passed away on May 31, 2024, after a long battle with severe arthritis and COPD. Her final moments were spent peacefully surrounded by family and close friends.

Barbara was born on October 11, 1941, to Trolando Erwin Blesh, Jr., and Edna Chobot Blesh in San Jose, California. Barbara received her B.A. in English Literature from Vassar College in 1963 and subsequently earned an M.S. degree in Speech and Hearing Pathology from Columbia University. 

Barbara and former husband, Eric Edelmann, married in 1963, and had four children together: Eric, Jr., Gregg, Kristen, and Kurt. She was the most devoted, loving, supportive mother you could imagine, who taught her children that anything was possible to achieve. 

She was the author of The Pain of Rainbows, a volume of poetry published in 1974, which became an Off-Off-Broadway play, Woman Song, in 1976. When her children were in high school, she joined the business world at MBIA Inc., where she rose to Vice President in the Legal Operations Department.

Her greatest passion though (beyond family) was painting. Barbara began to paint in acrylics in 1976 as a hobby for rainy days and this pastime grew over the years to include watercolor and drawing. She used her love of colors and brushstrokes to create her inner vision, often extending the idea of the image beyond the scope of the canvas for the viewer to imagine the next line and color.

Known for her deep love for her family, her beautiful artwork, her sense of humor, and her passion for life, Barbara will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Barbara’s family asks that she be remembered for the joy she brought to others in life, not the sadness of her passing.

She is survived by her two youngest children, Kristen Carpenter (Jeff), Kurt Edelmann (Dawna), and daughter-in-law Irene, along with her seven grandchildren, Max (31), Kristopher (27), Caitlyn (19), Elise (18), Bryn (17), Ansley (15), and Paige (13). Barbara was preceded in death by her brother Robert and her sons Eric Jr., and Gregg.

Her cremated remains will be interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY, and a memorial will be held in Yorktown Heights NY on October 12, 2024 at 12:00, for family and friends to celebrate the life of this beloved woman. Specific place to be announced.