Barbara Dedert

Barbara Jean “Barbie” Dedert of Milton, Florida, passed away on August 1, 2025. Born in Dallas, Texas on August 27, 1983, Barbie grew up surrounded by the close family ties that her loved ones remember as central to who she was. She was a loving mother to four sons — Austin Kochert, Blake Paul, Aiden Paul, and Preston Paul — and a grandmother to EllieRenee Paul. Family was at the heart of her life.

Barbie pursued a variety of work over the years, including roles in moving and storage and in hospitality. Her interest in serving others led her back to school in 2010 at West Kentucky Community and Technical College where she studied counseling with an eye toward law enforcement. She joined the Army Reserve Military Police Unit in St. Louis and, after an honorable discharge resulting from a training injury, continued her service in corrections at Blackwater River Correctional Facility and the Okaloosa County Jail.

A licensed esthetician and graduate of Celebrity School of Beauty in Miami, Barbie also trained as a makeup artist. At the time of her passing she was enrolled at Northwest Florida State College preparing for the HESI exam as she worked toward a nursing degree and the long-held goal of opening her own health and beauty spa. Those goals reflected her blend of care and creativity — a wish to help others feel well and confident.

Barbie is preceded in death by her father, Edward. She is survived by her mother Rebecca Pass; her sons Austin, Blake, Aiden and Preston; her sister Rachel Eileen Dedert Richardson and brother-in-law Jeff Richardson; and her step-mother April Smith. Friends and family remember her for the ties she kept with those closest to her and for the plans and hopes she carried forward for herself and her children.

A celebration of Barbie’s life is being planned by the family and funeral arrangements are being handled by Lewis Funeral Homes & Crematory, Milton Chapel. Those who knew her recall a woman striving to better herself for the sake of her family and holding dear the relationships that grounded her. Her memory survives in the sons and family she loved and in the quiet ways she worked toward helping others feel cared for and seen.