Barbara Jean Storrs English, 88, of Rockingham, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Sept. 1, 2025, at 5:07 a.m.
Born on Nov. 5, 1936, in Mount Vernon, Skagit County, Washington, to Milton Storrs and Etta Ellis, Barbara lived a life rooted in love, family, and resilience. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, known for her kindness and strength.
She is survived by her children, Cheryle Fabry (Gordon), Harry English Jr. (Rebecca) and Warren English (Tenille); her sister, Sharon Vastola; her brother, Charles Storrs; and nine beloved grandchildren who brought her endless joy.
Barbara is preceded in death by her husband, Harry English Sr.; her daughters, Connie English and Cynthia Blue; and her siblings, Dennis Storrs, Marilyn Storrs, Beverly Lade, George Storrs and Thomas Storrs.
A private family service will be held in Lily, Florida, to honor her life and legacy.
Barbara will be remembered for her love of family, her quiet strength, and the many lives she touched throughout her 88 beautiful years.
Harrington Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the English family.
Online condolences may be made at harringtonfuneralhome.com.
These Hands
These hands have lived a full and extraordinary life.
These hands have raised siblings, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren- always steady, always strong, always full of love.
These hands have played the piano for the church, filling chapels and homes alike with music that wrapped around us like a warm embrace, teaching us that faith and melody often share the same language.
These hands have worked the soil, creating gardens that bloomed year after year and crops that fed her family. Her favorite flower, the petunia, brought color and beauty to every corner of her yard. Season after season, she taught us that with patience, hard work, and a little love, anything can grow.
These hands have sewn, cross-stitched and crocheted with precision and care, creating blankets that kept us warm, rugs that decorated our homes, hats, clothes, bags, and so many other tokens of her creativity and generosity.
These hands have cooked for so many- family dinners, for members of the church, and neighbors and friends who needed comfort. She showed her love and care for others through the meals she prepared and the time she gave.
These hands have cared for others as a nurse- in homes, in hospitals, and even in a prison- offering comfort, healing, and dignity to every life she touched.
These hands have prepared and preserved- filling shelves with canned fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and so much more, ensuring her family was always safe, always provided for, always cared for.
These hands have served faithfully in her church, taking on many callings- leading Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society. After her brother Tommy introduced her to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, her faith became the foundation of her life. She was always proud that all her children remained active in the church and went to the temple, a reflection of testimony she built and shared.
These hands have worked tirelessly, even spending years picking oranges in the Florida sun- a testament to her grit, strength, and unshakeable work ethic.
These hands have turned every house into a home, decorating for every season and every holiday, teaching us that life’s beauty is found in the details.
These hands have done it all. They’ve given, created, comforted, taught, healed, and loved more than words could ever capture.
And though these hands may now be at rest, their touch remains in everything they’ve built- in the music that still plays in our memories, in the warmth of every handmade blanket, in every bite of a cake we’ll bake in her honor, and in the lives of everyone who was lucky enough to be held by them.
Thank you, Mom/Grandma, for everything your hands have done — and for the love that will stay with us, forever.
