An extraordinary wife, mother and grandmother Barbara Stocking Stegelmann, 78, of Fort Mill, SC and formally of Webster, NY passed away Saturday, April 18, 2026, surrounded by her family. She embodied a beautiful example of selfless love and kindness. Barbara was born July 24, 1947, in Rochester, NY, daughter of the late James and Evelyn Stocking.

Barbara’s youth revolved around her family and the strong bond they had together. Following High School Barbara received her business degree and worked in finance. Shortly after she met Joseph, the love of her life. The happy couple spent most of their days taking long car rides and it made no difference if it were to the mountains, the coast, or the countryside. Whether it was hikes on the eastern hillside or walks on the beach she was always on the go.

The gleam in Barbara’s eyes was never brighter than when she was with her family. She never missed her daughter’s soccer games, track meets, or school events. One true passion of hers was cooking, where she loved bringing her family joy with her made from scratch recipes. She held a very special place in her heart for her five grandchildren. Barbara spent as much time as possible at their various sporting events, school functions and graduations and would travel as far as necessary just to spend a moment with them. Her smile was never as wide as when she could join them for family game nights, holidays and vacations.

Barbara’s friends will always remember how much she enjoyed attending social events, hosting parties and playing cards. They will especially remember their euchre league where she had to constantly carry her teammate Joe in order for them to have any chance to win. Barbara always had a smile on her face and always had a kind word to give.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 49 years Joseph Stegelmann; daughters Kassie Love and husband Elliot of Davidson, NC, Sara Trahan and husband Randy of Webster, NY; her cherished grandchildren Landon, Bennett, Miles, Michael and Lauren; sister Betty Lewis of Sudbury, MA; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

A celebration of life service will be held on April 30th at 1:00pm at Palmetto Funeral Home, 2049 Carolina Place, Fort Mill, SC. A buffet gathering will take place following at 2pm at the Fish Market, 990 Market Street, Fort Mill, SC.

In Lieu of flowers, Barbara wished that donations be made to GiGi’s Playhouse in honor of her amazing grandson Michael.