Barbara Bock-Mavis

Barbara Bock-Mavis died at age 98 at Immanuel Lakeside in Omaha, NE.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, May 9th at the Grand Hall at Immanuel Lakeside at 3:30 PM, 17475 Frances St., with reception to follow.

Donations can be sent to the Omaha Public Library Foundation and the Omaha Symphony Guild.

Preceded in death by her husband, Allan Mavis; parents, Grover and Lillian Johnson. Survived by her three sons: John (Patricia), Grove and Andrew (Kathleen), seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Barbara was born in Omaha, NE in 1927. She graduated from Benson High School in 1944. After receiving an Associate of Arts degree from Stephens College, she would go on to graduate from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1948 – also as a proud alum of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

A lifelong lover of learning, she was thrilled to – later in her own life – study impressionist art as part of a traveling scholars program in Paris through the University of California-Berkeley.

A determined, strong-willed and passionate advocate for literature and the arts, Barbara believed in putting her talents into action by creating and developing systems that served the greater Omaha community. From the Red Cross to the Junior League to the Joslyn Art Museum – Barbara made great organizations better.

A prolific fundraiser and philanthropist, she was a founding member of the Omaha Public Library Foundation – and was honored when they named their annual award the “Barbara Bock-Mavis Leadership Award.” She was a founding member of the Friends of the Library and served as President of the Omaha Symphony Guild.

While she loved being in great art galleries, she could also find just as much beauty and joy out in the country. She got a kick out of telling friends how she became an ‘instant farmer’ and tended to the same land her grandparents had homesteaded near Kearney and in Perkins County, NE. She firmly believed you hadn’t truly lived until you’d seen the cows coming home during a summer sunset.

As summer turned to fall, Barbara’s thoughts would turn to planning her beloved “Bock Fall Festival.” As the devoted matriarch of the family, Barbara loved to be with everyone gathered at the holidays or just for a Sunday brunch. She couldn’t wait to hear all the latest gossip – and share a little, too.

As fall turned to the winter of her years, Barbara was blessed and grateful to have the help and support of the wonderful Helen Perea as well as the staff at Lakeside.

Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler, West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road, Omaha, Ne 68124. (402)-391-3900. www.heafeyheafey.com