Leona Fox Barber

Leona Fox Barber, USN Ret. of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the age of 95. Mrs. Barber was born in Wilton, New Hampshire, the daughter of the late Archer Douglas Fox and Mabel Fuller Fox. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1948 and commissioned in the U.S. Navy as an Ensign after working for one year in New York City in advertising and modeling. She remained on active duty for eleven years, with assignments all over the country. She received many awards and commendations during her military career. She married her husband, Navy Captain Albertus V. Barber Jr in the Navy Chapel in Washington DC in 1959. Mrs. Barber resigned her commission as a Lieutenant Commander in 1960 in order to join her husband at his duty station in Jacksonville, Florida. They later moved to Alexandria, Virginia where Mrs. Barber joined the faculty at St Agnes (now St Stephens and St Agnes) School in Alexandria, Virginia, first as a second grade teacher and later as Head of the Lower and Middle School. When her children were grown, she returned to Federal service, with Senator Harry F. Byrd and later with the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress. She was active in church work at Sharon Chapel in Franconia, had been on the board of Friends of Guest House which helps women successfully re-enter the community from incarceration, and was a member of Kate Waller Barrett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She loved gardening, cooking at Carpenter’s Shelter for the area homeless and socializing with friends & family. Mrs. Barber held a B.A. degree from the University of New Hampshire, a Master’s degree from George Mason University and certificates from the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. She is preceded in death by her husband, Captain Albertus V. Barber Jr. She is survived by her two children: Amy Barber Jones of Alexandria, Virginia, and Albertus V. Barber III (Biff) of Mount Vernon, Illinois, and 5 grandchildren: David Jones, Eric Jones, Ashley Jones, Albertus V. Barber IV (Alex) and Samuel Barber. She is also survived by two brothers, Kevin Fox of New York and Neal Fox of Vermont, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Friends and family may gather from 10:30-11:00AM at Jefferson Funeral Chapel on Saturday, December 10, 2022. A celebration of Leona’s life will follow starting at 11AM. A graveside service to honor Lea’s military career will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on a date to be determined.

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Leona Fox Barber

September 30, 1927 - October 1, 2022