Barbara Ann Schlee Balbi died peacefully at the Schneidmiller Hospice House in Hayden, Idaho, on Feb. 8, 2021.

Barbara was born in Chicago on June 20, 1939, to Henry and Ann Schlee.

She drew family and friends to herself like a magnet. She loved entertaining and being involved in the BAB’s club of Bayview, Idaho, and at St. Thomas Church of Coeur d’Alene.

She attended Holy Names college of Spokane, Wash., where she obtained a home economics degree. There she met many lifelong friends. After teaching in Gig Harbor, Wash., where she met another lifelong friend, she moved to California, where she was the manager of the kitchen at Stanford University. During that time she created another lifelong friendship.

While living in Belmont, Calif., and working at Stanford she met her husband, Peter Balbi, who preceded her in death. She and Peter ran a food distribution and manufacturing business and owned a vineyard until they retired to Athol, Idaho.

She is survived by her cousins, Virginia Vackar of Lake in the Hills, Ill.; John Imberger of Illinois, Janet Strandberg of Illinois, Barry Gilbert of Illinois and Thomas Imberger of Tennessee; brother-in-Law and sister-in-law, John and Diane Balbi of Spirit Lake, Idaho; their daughter, Sarah Balbi and her husband, Abhishek Singh, and their daughter, Florence Singh; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Michelle and David Balbi of Half Moon Bay, Calif., and their son, Luca Balbi of San Luis Obisbo, Calif.

There will be visitation and rosary held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, at English Funeral Chapel, 1133 N. Fourth St., Coeur d'Alene. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday Feb. 12, 2021, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 919 E. Indiana Ave. Coeur d'Alene, with the committal service to follow at St. Thomas Cemetery.

To see Barbara's online memorial and to leave a message for the family, please visit www.englishfuneralchapel.com.