August 10, 1958 — September 19, 2023
Barbara Appleby, 65, of Maplewood, Minn., passed away unexpectedly on September 19, 2023 while vacationing in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
Barb loved to travel, and mentioned many times that this trip to Africa was a trip of a lifetime. She was traveling with her best friend and travel companion Wendy, and was thrilled to have been close to elephants, zebras and giraffes just before she passed away.
Barb wasn’t known nationally, although she did attend the 2017 legislative seminar and enjoyed visiting Minnesota senate and congressional offices.
Barb worked as the only blind employee for Xcel Energy, a Minnesota power company, for 25 years. She retired in 2017.
She was an animal lover, a collector of art, a long-time guide dog user, and loved all animals and people. Barb’s interests included book club, crocheting, and playing in an audio darts league.
In addition to contracting Type 1 diabetes as a child, which led to Barb losing her sight, she had several other major health issues over her lifetime. Through it all, she never complained and fought each battle head on and with courage.
Barb was a member of the ACB of Minnesota board, the membership committee, and served on our state convention committee. She was a generous donor and a great friend to all.
She never took no for an answer or said she couldn’t do something; she always found a way to advocate for herself and others. She is a true angel.