Barbara Rains

June 1, 1939 - May 30, 2021

Barbara Rains, 81, of Portage, Indiana, died May 30th, 2021 at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Barbara Carroll Rains was born in Michie, Tennessee in 1939, the ninth of eleven children. She attended Michie High School where she broke the girls’ basketball scoring record, was named valedictorian of her senior class, and voted “Cutest Couple” with a young gentleman named Scottie Rains. The Christmas Eve following Barb and Scott’s graduation, they married and boarded a train for Gary, Indiana, beginning a sixty-four year marriage. Barb and Scott went on to have two daughters and moved to Portage, Indiana where she lived the remainder of her life. Barbara was a devoted mother who dedicated her life to her daughters and their activities. She worked as a teacher’s assistant and secretary for Central Elementary School and a secretary for Fegely Middle School. She remained an active advocate for Portage Township Schools long after both of her daughters graduated. Barbara cherished her granddaughters, Caroline, Meredith, and Lennon. She never hesitated at the opportunity to care for them when needed. She was the quintessential “spoiling” grandmother; abundantly generous with her time, resources, and love. Barb was also an avid tennis player, playing three to four times a week with a group of women who became her treasured friends. Barb was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in January of this year. On May 10th she underwent a long and extensive surgery followed by a cascade of complications. She passed peacefully after a hard-fought battle in which her body could no longer sustain her spirit. Barbara is preceded in death by her parents Mary and Dewey Carroll, brothers James D. Carroll, Elwood Carroll, Hoyt Carroll, Frank Carroll, and Joe Carroll. She is survived by sisters Joyce Cochran, Wanda Tucker, Martha Dupree, Linda Carpenter, and Mary Bassett; husband Scott Rains, and daughters Kim (Kevin) Ober and Susanna (Colin) Moriarty, and granddaughters Caroline Ober, Meredith Ober, and Lennon Moriarty. A memorial service will be arranged at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the American Cancer Society is appreciated and can be made at www.cancer.org.