Barbara “Babs” Kohut, 78, of Oak Park, died peacefully in Hospice care at Elmhurst Extended Care on Oct. 8, 2025. Born in Chicago on March 16, 1947, the second child of John Omer Barnhart and Ramona Lynch Barnhart, she was raised in Richmond Indiana, graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati and later moved to Chicago.
On a Chicago el platform, during her morning commute, she spotted the man who would become her husband, Bob Kohut. They married in 1975 and separated in 1996, but remained close, sharing holidays and a wealth of stories of their lives with their two sons.
She lived with unbridled optimism in the goodness of people and in the world around her, thriving on community, friendship, and togetherness, most evident in her roles as the driving force behind the close-knit community within a community for the residents of the 900 block of Hayes in Oak Park and her career as a teacher, daycare owner, and Realtor.
Sometimes she flew by the seat of her pants, but in five minutes, she could make someone feel like she was part of their family and vice versa.
Barbara is survived by her sons, Cory and Scott; her husband, Bob; her daughter-in-law, Abigail, and former daughter-in-law, AnaPaula; her grandchildren, Eleanor and Henry; and her two sisters, Susan and Mary. She wa preceded in death by her parents, John and Ramona Barnhart, and her brother Bruce Barnhart.
A funeral Mass was celebrated on Oct. 13 at St. Edmund Church in Oak Park. Interment was private.
Arrangements were handled by Frank Reda, Funeral Director.
