Barbara (O'Shea) Muchnij

Barbara (O’Shea) Muchnij, 77, of Bellbrook, Ohio, passed away Friday, January 31, 2025. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Joseph Muchnij; as well as two children, Jay (Jade Wang) Muchnij of Arlington, MA and Jill (Ronald) Rahaim of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. 

Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Alice (Laniewski) O’Shea; her sister, Pat Fortier; her brother-in-law, Bob Fortier; her half-sister, Betty Schiess; and brother-in-law, Richard Schiess.

Born in Detroit, Barb attended the University of Michigan on a full academic scholarship but ultimately graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, where she met her husband. After being heavily involved in raising her children and developing gifted programs in their schools, she earned a master’s degree from the University of Dayton while working in Patient Relations at Kettering Medical Center. Barb worked and volunteered in many other fields over the years including as a teacher, a bookseller, an advocate for abused women, and a nursing home administrator. 

Her true passion emerged after the loss of many relatives: genealogy. For more than 25 years, she has worked as a professional genealogist researching the family histories of clients, volunteering at the Dayton LDS Family History Center, and teaching classes to share her knowledge with others.

Her legacy is one of love, compassion, intellect, and the joy of connecting people to their roots.

Family and friends are invited to a visitation and Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, February, 5, 2025, at St. Leonard, 8100 Clyo Rd, Centerville. Visitation begins at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, whose care was greatly appreciated.

The WESTBROCK FUNERAL HOME- KETTERING is serving the family.