Barbara Blake (Czarnecki) Fothergill

Barbara Fothergill, 90, passed away peacefully on November 29, 2025, at Sancerre Senior Living in Orange City, Florida.  The youngest of four siblings, Barbara was born July 21, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, to Stanley Bernard Czarnecki and Mae Koza Czarnecki. 

Always an excellent student, Barbara’s academic talents did not go unnoticed and upon graduation from high school she was offered a full scholarship to a teacher’s college in Chicago. Being an independent young lady, Barbara instead decided to move to Kansas City and began working with her sister and brother-in-law in their family business, the Patricia Stevens Career College and Modeling Agency. Barbara was soon teaching classes on fashion, makeup, poise, and business—skills she carried with her throughout her life. Following a family vacation to Miami Beach, Barbara decided to make it her home, and it was there that she met Jim Fothergill. They married in 1960 and became lifelong Floridians, raising and educating their three daughters in Miami.

In 1995, Jim and Barbara moved to DeLand, Florida, where they spent more than 25 years cultivating friendships, hosting many gatherings for family and friends at their home in Westminster Wood, and sharing their time and talents with others. They also enjoyed supporting the arts community in DeLand, and they traveled extensively during their retirement, with France and Italy among their favorite destinations. Barbara was active in the DeLand community, serving as a volunteer jury coordinator at the DeLand courthouse, as a volunteer at Florida Hospital DeLand, and also as the secretary of the Westminster Wood neighborhood association.

Barbara was a dedicated wife, mother, and career woman. Having grown up as a latch-key child raised by a working mother in Chicago, she was determined to always be there for her own three daughters, and when they were young Barbara very carefully arranged her work schedule so that she could pick them up after school or at a moment’s notice if they were in need of her care. She took up tennis when the girls were young and continued playing even into retirement. She used her administrative skills to the fullest and over the course of her career Barbara worked as an executive assistant in both corporate and legal settings. She was a gifted cook and hostess, never missing an opportunity to plan dinners and parties for friends and family. Her grandchildren remember the many family birthday celebrations she and Jim hosted, “pulling out all the stops” with their culinary specialties and beautiful cakes. Barbara loved people and had a wonderfully generous spirit. A lifelong Catholic, Barbara came to a full and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ during the final years of her life and she is now in the loving presence of her Savior.

Barbara is survived by her three daughters, Melinda Provenza (Joe) of St. Augustine, Laura Morgan (Scott) of Eustis, and Jill Portales (Aldo) of Palm Beach Gardens, her 10 grandchildren, Emily, Katie, Jimmy (Annie), and Joseph Provenza; Catherine Allbritton (Keaton), Rebecca Morgan, and Matthew Morgan; and Nicholas, Alexander, and Andrew Portales; as well as two great grandsons. She is also survived by several cousins and many nieces and nephews. Barbara was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, James L. Fothergill, her parents, and her three siblings, Florence “Patricia” Stevens, Leonard S. Czarnecki, and Edwin R. Czarnecki.

The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Barbara’s many caregivers, including Kenessa, Neena, Hilda, Marianne, Mimi, Luz, Abby, Christy, Sabrina, Shannon and all the staff at Sancerre; Karen, Robbie, Lamanda, and the staff at Halifax Hospice; and also and especially her Visiting Angels Adele, Jenifer, and Sylvia and their supervisor Wanda.

A gathering for family and friends to celebrate Barbara’s life will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Debary Country Club, 300 Plantation Club Drive, Debary, FL 32713.  Dress casually and colorfully to honor Barbara’s flair for fashion!  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barbara’s name to St. Peter Catholic Church, 359 West New York Ave, DeLand, FL 32720, or a charity of your choosing. Condolences may be sent to the Fothergill Family at P.O. Box 3009, DeLand, FL 32721, or online at melpro@bellsouth.net. 

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