- Date Of Birth: October 31, 1928
- Date Of Death: April 4, 2017
- State: Florida
Barbara Carr Pruett, 88, of Cocoa Beach, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at Hospice of Health First at Cape Canaveral Hospital with family by her side.
Barbara was born on October 31, 1928 in Weirton, West Virginia. Her father, Joseph Carfagna, was a general contactor and her mother; Jennie Joanne Carfagna (Ciarrocchi) was a homemaker and hairdresser. Barbara also had a brother five years her younger Eugene Joseph Carfagna.
Barbara’s parents divorced when she was 17 years old and her mother changed the family legal name to Carr. Her mother raised both children with outgoing personalities, a strong work ethic, a love for Italian cooking, a devout faith in God and the power of prayer.Barbara graduated from Weir High School in Weirton in 1947. She went on to become certified massage therapist by 1950. In 1955 Barbara’s mother moved the family to Daytona Beach, FL where Barbara continued to work in massage therapy and also was employed as a dental hygienist.
Often times Barbara and her friends would travel to Cocoa Beach to enjoy the quiet beaches and occasionally view a rocket launch. On one particular weekend in late 1957, Barbara’s friend Joyce who had been dating a “rocket engineer” invited Barbara to accompany her to Cocoa Beach for a blind date to meet another “rocket engineer”. Barbara was introduced to a slender quiet man who was leading a group of Aerojet General Corporation engineers, by the name of Larry Pruett. They married in Cocoa Beach in October of 1958 at St.
Barbara always considered Cocoa Beach her true home even when she spent time accompanying Larry on his various aerospace career assignments across the country. After losing her mother to cancer, Barbara immersed herself in researching the latest topics related to cancer, health and nutrition. Her living room was always filled with the latest books and magazines dealing with faith and health except for Larry’s occasional golf or fishing her retirement, she continued her love of Italian cooking, health and her devotion to God and prayer.
Barbara is survived by her loving husband, Larry, son Kevin, daughter-in-law Jenny, cousin Gloria Ciarrocchi of Wheeling, WV, nephew Billy Carr, his wife Gannon and their children William, Jackson and Morgan of Valle Crucis, North Carolina.
