Babs R. Maple Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Babs Maple Born and raised in Mayfield, Kentucky as the spunky and brave oldest of three girls, Babs Maple experienced a life full of love for her family and wanted nothing more than to sit and chat with her dog, Dolly, by her side. After leaving Kentucky, Babs and Bud Maple raised their two daughters in the Portage Lakes area of Akron, Ohio. While there, Babs threw herself into volunteering for the local school system and PTA and advocating for the passage of levies that benefitted Coventry Local Schools. She was devoted to serving the Portage Lakes Active Youth organization as well as many softball teams and the young ladies who played. Wherever her girls were, she was there, giving her all, whether by carpooling, volunteering, or cheering them on, from sports to dance to writing competitions. The Maple Home was open to an entire generation of Coventry students, and everyone found a bonus mom in Babs, who truly loved each and every child who entered her life. After her girls graduated, Babs relocated to the Tri-Cities area of Washington before moving to Tampa, her final hometown, becoming the self-declared “mayor” of Stilton Street. Babs was at her best as mother to Haley and Jessica and grandmother to Logan, Owen, and Aubrey. Stubborn, funny, talkative, cracker jack Euchre player, advocate for Kids, softball coach, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader (not true, but she joked that she was), a real Mayfield High School cheerleader who could still do the cheers (“Mayfield, Mayfield! Won’t You Get Down, Won’t You Get Town and Beat, Beat, Beat Tilghman!”), band parent, swimmer, fundraiser, Wendy’s Iced Tea consumer in bulk, hater of “fake” foods that she defined to include instant mashed potatoes, frozen yogurt, skim milk, and turkey burgers, singer of a mean version of Barges with her sisters, fan of the “boys” even when they hid whoppers in the house, a huge proponent of air conditioning turned low and fans turned high, and truly, truly a friend to all. Babs loved music, cleaning to Louis Armstrong, dancing to Whitney, humming to Alabama, and finding deep meaning in songs across many genres. She didn’t miss a Blues Sisters concert. Tradition was part of her core. At the Christmas holidays, she made truckloads of Chex mix for everyone, put holiday cards in a small wooden sleigh, displayed her collection of holiday Barbies, and carried on the Advent calendar tradition from her family. She sang carols in the car with the girls and always admired the holiday lights in yards across the country. The Grinch and Rudolph were never missed at the Maples thanks to Babs. Babs is survived by her daughters Haley Maple (husband Joel Ewusiak) and Jessica Pownall (husband Jason Jones), the loving father to her children and her best friend for decades Harold (Bud) Maple, the grandchildren she adored Logan, Owen, and Aubrey, her mother Janice Ballard and sisters, Lita Ballard and Allison (Cammie) Ballard, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, family and friends, and her sweet dog, Dolly. Babs is preceded in death by her father, Henry Ballard, and her dog, Frannie. In lieu of flowers, Babs would have loved donations and support to any of the following: the Hillsborough County Humane Society (where she met Dolly), the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, or the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.

Tributes

Babs R. Maple

January 23, 1958 - June 19, 2022