Starre Lynne Barnard

Starre Lynn Barnard, 79, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, passed away on August 26, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and faith.

Starre was born on August 19, 1947, in Coffeyville, Kansas, to Jack and Francis Schmidt, and grew up in the small Kansas town she always called home. She graduated from Field Kinley Memorial High School in 1965, where her spirited personality was already on full display as a member of the Tillies pep squad and a cheerleader. She went on to attend Coffeyville Community Junior College.

On June 23, 1969, Starre married Bruce Bartovick at Coffeyville First Presbyterian Church. The young couple settled in Tulsa, where they raised their family. Starre and Bruce later divorced in 1996, remaining good friends in the years that followed. In 1999, Starre married Keenan Barnard in Tulsa, beginning a partnership that would span 27 wonderful years. The two were introduced at a dinner hosted by mutual friends, and Starre often said she'd never laughed harder than she did that night. Together, they traveled all over the world, always managing to bring home souvenirs that proved a challenge to pack for the flight. Starre and Keenan found a church home at Harvard Avenue Christian Church, where they built lifelong friendships through their Sunday School class, The Challengers.

Starre was a faithful and devoted member of Harvard Avenue Christian Church, where she served as a Deacon and was active with the International Love Ministries. She also devoted much of her time to the community, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, Iron Gate Ministries, and Reading Partners.

She loved staying active, whether on the tennis court, the golf course, or the pickleball court, on a long walk, or seated around a card table for a game of Bridge, where her quick wit and competitive spirit made her a favorite partner. But nothing brought her more joy than her family. Starre was endlessly proud of her children and grandchildren, and she considered her stepchildren and their children just as much her own, often showing up to cheer them on at their games and activities from the sidelines. She treated every child in her expanded family as her own. Those who knew her best will remember her favorite saying: “The best is yet to come!”

Starre was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Francis Schmidt, and her brother, Terry Schmidt.  She is survived by her husband, Keenan Barnard; her children, Holly (Casey) Lamb and Andrew (Kitina) Bartovick; stepchildren Ashley Barnard (David Prince), Hilary (Mitch) Ruttenberg, Matt (Michelle) Barnard, and Leslie (Ryan) Armstrong; grandchildren Alex (Makenzie) Bartovick, Zachary Lamb, Maria Bartovick, Blake Lamb, Zoe (Nick) Conrad, and Madeleine Armstrong, Kate and Max Ruttenberg, Hadley and Elena Armstrong, Jack, Annie, & Cora Barnard; great-grandson Arthur Conrad; and her brother, John Schmidt.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Harvard Avenue Christian Church on September 9 at 2:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Harvard Avenue Christian Church Endowment Trust.

Starre's strength, generosity, and zest for life touched everyone who crossed her path, and she will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.