Barbara Lee (Skadeland) Alafita

Barbara Lee (Skadeland) Alafita, 80, of Sandusky, OH passed away in the presences of her husband and her adult children,  Tuesday afternoon, August 31, 2021, at the Cleveland Clinic - Fairview Hospital, Fairview Park, OH, following a lengthy battle with kidney disease.  
   She was born on March 7, 1941, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, the daughter of Gunder Rudolph and Mabel (Winans) Skadeland.   Barbara graduated from Swanton High School (Class of 1959) , Swanton, OH and had successfully completed 2 1/2 years of nurses training at Toledo Hospital School of Nursing.  Subsequently, after marrying the love of her life on November 21, 1964, Carlos G. Alafita, originally of Adrian , MI, she devoted her life to raising and educating three wonderful children.  She was a  loving wife and a successful homemaker, who enjoyed cooking, collecting cooking recipes, doing crafts, caring for her house pets and socializing with her friends and family.   For over 10 years, she volunteered at the Ohio Veterans Home, she taught crafts to residents and shared the comfort of her dog, "Bandit."   She was an avid Bible reader, who loved memorizing scripture as she asked God for guidance in her daily life.
   She will be dearly missed by her husband of 56 years, Carlos; her son, Eric (Theresa Allman) Alafita of Chelsea, MI; her two daughters, Rhonda Alafita (her partner Jacques Cote' and his son, Dylan) of Vermilion and Michelle (Christopher) Smith of Ft. Wayne, IN; her six grandsons, Riley, Noah and Ian Smith, and Issac, Augustine and Leo Alafita; her three brothers, David Skadeland of Sugarland, TX, Daniel Skadeland of Oregon, OH and Michael Skadeland of Chicago, IL; her two sisters, Roberta (Fanelly) Wodarski of Toledo and Barbara Jean (Fanelly) Rodriguez of Delaware, OH; brother-in-law, Raul "Rudy" Alafita of Adrian, MI; and numerous nieces and nephews.
   Barbara was preceded in death by her father and birthmother, Mabel Berry; her stepmother, Earlene Fanelly - Skadeland; and her two brothers, Kenneth Fanelly and John Skadeland; a nephew, David Wodarski; two brothers-in-law, Ronald Wodarski and Pedro Rodriguez; and her stepfather, Leroy Berry. 
   The family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday morning, September 8, 2021, from 9:30 am until time of the funeral services at 11:30 am at the David F. Koch Funeral and Cremation Services, 520 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky.  Deacon Jeff Claar officiating.  Interment will follow in the Calvary Cemetery, Sandusky.
   In lieu of flowers, the family suggests the memorial contributions may be gifted in Barbara's honor to Serving Our Seniors Inc., 310 E. Boalt Street, # A, Sandusky, OH 44870; to the Humane Society of Erie County, 1911 Superior Street, Sandusky, OH 44870; or to one's favorite charity.
   Your memories and words of comfort may be shared with Barbara's family by visiting davidfkoch.com.