Barbara Ann Plazek (Burket), affectionately known as “Mammy,” “Mam,” and “Shorty,” passed away peacefully on October 5, 2026, at the age of 85. She was born on January 22, 1941, in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, to Sylvester and Margaret Ann (Decker) Burket. She made her home in Macedonia, Ohio, where she lived for 52 years.

Barbara was the beloved wife of the late Paul Plazek, whom she met on a blind date. Together, they built a life centered around family, love, and countless memories. Barbara devoted her life to raising her children, Raymond Plazek (Colleen) and Regina Miller (Randy), as a stay-at-home mother and later treasured her role as a grandmother. She was the proud grandmother of Jakob, Nathaniel, Abigail, and Joshua Miller, and Sarah Plazek. She was also preceded in death by her beloved granddaughter, Angelica Miller, whose memory remained forever in her heart.

Barbara was a woman of many talents. She had an extraordinary gift for baking, cooking, sewing, and gardening. During her years in Pennsylvania, she entered the county fairs, where her talents earned her innumerable ribbons, awards, and prizes.

Faith and community were also important parts of Barb’s life. She was a parishioner of Our Lady of Guadalupe for more than 50 years. Over the years, she was known for baking up a storm for church events and later worked in the church rectory. She began working for Walmart in 1993, where she remained until her retirement. After retirement, Barb and Paul enjoyed traveling together on bus trips and visiting Amish Country. She especially enjoyed the time they spent together fishing and going downtown to Cleveland Indians baseball games. She had a deep love of music, which she shared with her children and fondly remembered the days in Pennsylvania when she would listen to her favorite performers and collect autographs.

Barb’s home and backyard were always places where people felt welcome. One of her greatest joys was planning garden parties. Friends, family, and neighbors could always count on gathering in their backyard to share food, laughter, conversation, and stories around the bonfire. Her garden parties reflected so much of who Barb was—a woman who loved bringing people together and making others feel at home.

Barbara will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren, family, friends, and her long-time neighbors. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Leonard Plazek, sisters-in-law: Marlene Ewing, Sylvia Lee (Bill), and Carol Plazek, as well as nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband Paul, Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Sylvester and Margaret Ann (Decker) Burket; her stepmother, Margaret Ann Brawley-Burket; her siblings, Marie Weaver and Sara Mae Burket; and her stepsiblings, Peggy Boyd, Catherine Ladesic, Charles Brawley, Mary Ellen Dixon, and Henry Lynch.

Barb will be remembered as a devoted mother and grandmother, a talented baker, seamstress, and gardener, a woman of faith, and most of all, as “Mammy”—someone whose home was always open, whose table was always welcoming, and whose love for her family was at the center of her life. Her memory will live on in the people she loved the gardens she tended, the recipes she shared, the traditions she created, and the many lives she touched.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Barbara’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Friends may call at the FERFOLIA FUNERAL HOME, 356 W. AURORA RD. (ST RT 82) SAGAMORE HILLS FOR VISITATION ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026, FROM 2-4 & 6-8 PM. Funeral 9:45 a.m. Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate Barbara’s life 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 9080 Shepard Road, Macedonia. Interment All Saints Cemetery, Northfield.