Nora Lou Willoughby
Born: October 18th, 1946
Died: March 7th, 2023
Obituary
Nora Lou Willoughby (née Barker) 76, beloved mother, grandmother andfriend, passed away March 7, 2023 in Reno, NV. Surrounded by music andlove, she left this world peacefully and gracefully while holding her son’s hand.
Nora was born October 18, 1946 in Bakersfield and raised in Wasco, CA. She was the daughter of Joe and Helen Barker. The family owned Barker Iron Works and Barker Park was named after her father and uncle. As a young girl, Nora loved twirling her baton, riding horses and swimming, an activity she enjoyed throughout her lifetime. She was a lover of music and played the piano and organ for her church and community.
Nora was a graduate of Wasco High School, class of 1964. Shortly after graduation, her love of the beach inspired her to move to the Central Coast of California where she attended Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, majoring in sociology. It was here that she met and married Jim Willoughby on January 23, 1971. The young couple moved around frequently due to Jim’s job working in the oil industry and were living in Paso Robles when their son, Brad was born on April 30, 1973.
After raising her son, she had a very successful career in real estate that lasted 22 years. As much as she loved being a mother, she loved being a grandmother even more and in 2012 she moved to Reno, NV to be close to her son and grandchildren.
Nora always said her biggest accomplishment was giving birth to her son and her greatest pleasure was being his mother. Family was of the utmost importance. She was a devoted, housewife, mom and daughter who cared loving for her own mother and father. She was of strong faith and strong will, standing up for what she wanted and what she believed was right.
She was very social, keeping close ties with friends throughout her life, and one of her greatest joys was getting together with girl friends. Nora loved Christmas, decorating her house, hosting gatherings and making the holidays special. Always thoughtful and considerate, she remembered birthday’s, sent thank you cards and made everyone she came into contact with feel loved and important.
Nora cared deeply for the people in her life. She was a shining example of unconditional love and everlasting friendship and her kind and beautiful spirit will live on in all who were graced by her presence. “A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. It brings us together again and again.” - Maya Angelou
Nora is survived by her son, Brad Willoughby, grandchildren Karis and Ryder Willoughby of Truckee, CA and her brother and his wife, Joe and Jean Barker of Bakersfield, CA.
Funeral service will be held at 10:30 am, March 22, 2023 at the Lifehouse Church in Wasco, CA with reception to follow. Flowers can be sent to Peter’s Funeral Home: 1401 Seventh St, Wasco, CA 93280