Barbara Strauss McKelly
Barbara Strauss McKelly died on Sunday, November 30, 2025, having received the plenary Sacraments of her Catholic faith. She was a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, and friend whose loyalty, devotion, generosity of spirit, and generosity of deed suffused each of these roles.
Barb was born on February 28, 1935 to Helen Loughman Strauss and Robert Strauss of St. Roch’s parish in St. Louis, and wed to the late James C. McKelly at the Church of the Annunziata in 1958. True partners in every sense, Barb and Jim are together survived by daughter Mary “Mimi” Hartung, son-in-law John Hartung, son Jim McKelly, daughter-in-law Sharyn Pulling, and beloved grandchildren Joseph Hartung, Christopher Hartung, and Mary “Mimi” McKelly.
Having lost their parents early, Barb and her younger sisters the late Roberta “Bobbie” Strauss Nangle and the late Helen Strauss Phelan felt a particular closeness not only to one another, but also to their aunts, uncles, and many cousins, who, like Barb’s parents, were all originally from the old St. Roch’s neighborhood. Barb cherished this ever expanding, ever-mobile extended family in seasons of celebration, seasons of grief, and seasons of laughter. Her vibrant presence enriched it; her lifelong dedication strengthened it.
A loyal alumna of the old Academy of the Visitation on Cabanne Avenue, class of 1953, Barb maintained several grade-school and high-school friendships for her entire life. In the Sisters of the Visitation, Barb found models of devout faith that instructed and inspired her own. There she also discovered a love of theater, which over time morphed into a creativity present in every aspect of her life, from her elegant parties to her conversational wit to her impeccable sense of style. Years later, as a mother, she was delighted to have a member of the next generation thrive in the Viz community as she had.
Barb was active professionally well into her 80s. Throughout the evolving incarnations of Joe Becker’s Clayton law firm, she was a fixture behind the receptionist’s desk for some 45 years, and as such was a source of continuity, stability, and institutional memory. Over time she became an advisor to those who advised, a guide for those entering new forms of professional practice, a colleague who could be trusted with any confidence, and a mentor whose council was without exception honest, direct, trenchant, and true. Barb helped make the firm a family; the relationships forged there remained a vital part of her emotional life until her final days.
A passionate advocate for the values she upheld, Barb was a fiercely engaged, compassionate voice in the lives of those dear to her, and a remarkable woman whose greatest gift lay in the art of giving. She will be missed in her absence from us, and remembered in her continuing presence among us.
Services: Visitation and funeral Mass will be held Monday, January 26, 2026 at St. Anselm Catholic Church, 530 South Mason Road, St. Louis, MO 63141. Visitation at 10 a.m. with the Mass to follow at 11 a.m. Interment Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Visitation Academy, 3020 North Ballas Road, St. Louis, MO 63131.
Leave a Condolence