Longtime educator and Elmhurst resident Barbara Joan Hrody passed away peacefully 11/05/2021 at her home. Born August 18th 1932 to Thomas and Helen (Hagemann) Hrody, Barbara inherited admirable traits from both parents – she had Tom’s gentle and caring nature and Helen’s independence and sense of humor. Barbara put those qualities to good use as a teacher, spending nearly five decades educating countless grade-school children. But her working career actually began with the FBI. A nun who taught typing and shorthand at her high school had a contact with the FBI and recommended Barbara for a job. She took an exam and was offered a position in downtown Chicago. She spent 8 ½ years as a stenographer and secretary for the FBI’s accounting squad. In her spare time, she attended DePaul University, and after 16 years of part-time classes, she completed her undergraduate and masters studies so she could become a teacher. She retired in 2007. Barbara was a familiar sight in her neighborhood, working in her yard, keeping a watchful eye on neighborhood kids, and taking her dogs – often in little dresses – to the store. “I buy dresses for the Yorkie,” she once told a relative, “but she’s a tomboy. So I put them on the poodle.” Barbara is survived by more than a dozen cousins, numerous neighbors who became a much-loved second family over the years, and innumerable former students whom she helped launch into the world. In accordance with Barbara’s wishes, there will be no services.
Barbara J. Hrody
