Barbara Leah Liebert, known as Bobbie to her many friends, passed away on December 27, 2024, in Lenox. She was 94 years old. Born Barbara Marin on November 7, 1930, to Gertrude and Al Marin, she was the older sister of Jill (Marin) Fiering and Jon Marin.
Bobbie was raised in Cedarhurst, Long Island, N.Y. She attended Elizabeth Irwin High School in Manhattan and then Syracuse University, where she met her future husband, Gerald Liebert. They married on October 8, 1950. Gerald passed away in 2006. Barbara and Gerald raised their three children in Woodmere, N.Y. She was the office manager for a medical practice in Hewlett, N.Y., for more than 10 years and an active member of the PTA. Bobbie grew up spending summers at her family’s home in Ocean Beach, Fire Island, N.Y., and later spent much time with her husband and children at their cabin in the Catskills.
In 1975, Barbara and Gerald began their second careers as innkeepers. They spent five years in Chittenden, Vt., at the Tulip Tree Inn, and more than 30 years at the Windflower Inn in Great Barrington, which they ran with their daughter Claudia Ryan and son-in-law John Ryan.
Barbara was known for her love of and devotion to family and friends. She brought her cooking skills and joy of meeting new friends into her life as an innkeeper. She loved to travel with her family, friends, and later with her grandchildren. She was interested in history as well as current events and committed to numerous social justice causes. She continued to take current events classes into her 90s. She loved the performing arts and regularly attended Tanglewood and Jacob’s Pillow. Bobbie was devoted to her Jewish heritage and culture, becoming a member of Hevreh Synagogue and celebrating her bat mitzvah when she was 73.
Barbara spent many winters in Delray Beach, Fla., and lived there full time for several years before deciding to move back to the Berkshires, residing at Kimball Farms to be closer to her family.
Barbara is survived by her three children, William Scott Liebert, Claudia Ryan, and Daniel Liebert; four grandchildren, Jessica, Michael, Rachael, and Sam; her great-grandson Noah; her son-in-law John Ryan; and her daughter-in-law Pamela Heacock.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to your local food bank or another charity of your choice.
