Barbara Ann Jones DeBay, age 86, of Floral City, Florida, passed away peacefully at her Floral City home on Sunday, August 16th 2026, after a brief illness.
She was born on December 5th 1939, in Brookhaven, New York, a suburban town in Suffolk County, Long Island, to parents Archibald Elmer Jones, Jr. and Ruth Margaret Carlton Jones.
After relocating with her family to St. Petersburg, Florida, she graduated from Boca Ciega High School in 1957. In February of 1958, she opted not to join her family in Asuncion, Paraguay, but instead chose to remain in Florida and married the love of her life, Bruce Erwin DeBay, on June 28th, and together they shared 68 wonderful years.
They remained in St. Petersburg long enough to produce 4 healthy children, but in 1970, after the new bus service ran over the family dog, she decided they needed to raise the children in a quieter, less frantic place, so they moved to a more pastoral setting in Floral City. She taught the children about growing a garden and raising chickens, rabbits, a goat, and a pig. She was very active in the church and became a teacher at the Eden Christian School, shaping young minds. She greatly enjoyed this work and continued working there until the school closed its doors.
She loved spending holidays with her friends and family, and the dinner table was always a place of laughter and love. Barbara’s joyful spirit was evident to all who knew her.
Barbara is survived by her loving husband, Bruce E. DeBay; her brother, Stephen Jones of Asuncion, Paraguay; and her four children, Bruce G. DeBay, Rebecca DeBay Stott, Cynthia DeBay Hill, and Lynn DeBay Chen. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and five furry grand-dogs.
She was preceded in death by brothers Mark Allen Jones, Gary Edwin Jones, Saylor Todd Jones, and her older sister, Nancy Ruth Jones.
A service to celebrate Barbara’s life will be held at the First Baptist Church of Floral City, at a date and time to be announced.
In place of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Floral City, 8545 E. Magnolia St., Floral City, FL 34436.
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