Barbara Faye (Palmer) Maffe, Blairsville PA, passed away on June 21, 2025, at Canterbury Place, Pittsburgh, PA. She was born on April 7, 1957, in Latrobe Hospital to Evelyn (Boyer) and Ralph Palmer. Barb was a Blairsville High School Graduate Class of 1975 and BCI graduate.
She was the wife to William (Bill) Maffe for 28 years. She is also survived by her sisters: Karen Hill & husband, Calvin, Delaware, Carla Crisman & husband, Jeff, Tarentum and Mollie Sabedra & husband, Ron, Blairsville and brothers, Gary Palmer, Delaware and Dana Palmer, Blairsville. She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings: Kay Baker, Sylvia Tressler, Wayne (Jerry) Tressler, Gene Tressler and Ralph (Mike) Palmer.
Barb’s lifelong professional accounting career was spent at Blairsville Wilbert Vault working for Dwayne & Peggy Dills for many years. This allowed her to have an extended family-like relationship with Dwayne and Peggy. They allowed her to grow professionally but more importantly they valued her for the honest, genuine, pure qualities that she possessed. She felt extremely loved, safe and secure by having them as her FRIENDS. Barb enjoyed interacting with people and ALL animals. She enjoyed camping and traveling, seeing the soul moving beaches and tranquil mountains across the United States, Hawaii and Canada. Barb is Lutheran in faith, feeling closest to God by helping others, giving of her time, energy, money and love to help anyone who was in need. Her light shined brightest, and her heart was the fullest when she was able to make someone else’s life a little easier and more meaningful. She wanted nothing in return…except a smile and possibly a lifelong friendship. Her love for helping humans was matched only by her love for animals, particularly her many dogs and a cat throughout her life. She loved and cared for God’s furry creatures as if they were her children. Any animal that God entrusted to her care lived the absolute best life possible guaranteed.
Barb fought a year-long battle with cancer. She saw God’s miracle of beating 4th Stage Ovarian Cancer, to be cancer free for a short period of time, until the cancer chose to challenge her again. While cancer took her life, it didn’t win her battle. She didn’t pass before she was able to say I LOVE YOU to those who filled her life with happiness, especially her siblings and her friends, but most importantly to her husband Bill, who took the best care of her. God truly blessed her with LOVE when he put Bill into her life. During her life, especially over the past year, if you spent time with Barb, if you called her, sent her flowers, a card a blanket or prayers, if she was simply a good thought in a moment of your day- THANK YOU. She felt LOVED by you, so cancer did NOT win. She valued your friendships and acquaintances and left this earthly home with a FULL heart. Let us all live a life worthy of God’s blessing to be able to see Barb again in our eternal Heavenly Home.
The Family is thankful to those who took professional care of Barb including Independence Health System, UPMC East, Hillman Cancer Center, McGee Woman’s Hospital, and Canterbury Place. We are blessed to have these facilities within our extended Blairsville community.
In keeping with Barb’s wishes, services will be private. Interment will be held in the Blairsville Cemetery. If so desired, donations can be made in Barb’s memory to Hopeful Hearts Rescue, 12 W. Market St, Blairsville, PA 15717. Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Ferguson Funeral Home & Monument Company, Blairsville.
www.fergusonblairsville.com
