Barbara A. Knudsen

ALBURGH, VT - Barbara A. (Thomas) Knudsen, age 74, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, with her husband of 53 years, Earl Knudsen, by her side.

She was born in Manhattan, NY on April 30, 1945, the daughter of the late Charles and Virginia (Kelly) Thomas.

Barb grew up in New York City, graduated from Sacred Heart of Mary in Riverdale, NY in 1962, and subsequently earned an Associates degree in business from Westchester Community College. On June 18, 1966, she married the love of her life, Earl M. Knudsen, and together they took the first step in a lifelong journey of love. Their love was the foundation of the family they created that consists of their four sons and their spouses; Eric and Kelly Knudsen, Adam and Sonell Knudsen, Matt and Karen Knudsen and C.J. Knudsen, together with nine amazing grandchildren.

She worked for 25 years at IBM at numerous locations around the country including New York City, White Plains, NY, Essex Junction, VT, Endicott, NY, St. Louis, MO and Houston, TX. She was so fortunate to have built many lifelong friendships along the way both within IBM and in the communities in which she lived over the decades. In 1978, she moved with Earl and their sons to Richmond, Vermont and established Vermont roots for her family that remain well-established today with all of her sons families residing and raising their children in Vermont. Following their retirement and after many years thriving in a tight-knit community of friends in Texas, Barb and Earl re-located permanently to their lakefront property in Alburgh, Vermont, affectionately known as Camp , which became the center of her life for hosting family and friends.

Barb was an avid reader and lover of games. She put her vast vocabulary to use in challenging her family and friends in on-line word games. She enjoyed playing cards, dominos, games-of-chance including slots and scratch off tickets and participating in the family NFL pool each year. She was famous for her homemade pizza on Sundays. She gave life to many parties over the years and could always be counted on to dress up for the occasion, including stints as the Easter Bunny, a Pilgrim and her primary role as Mrs. Claus for the Knudsen Annual Santa Sleigh Ride that she and Earl hosted for family and friends at Camp. Barbs family was the center of her life. She poured her heart and soul into raising her four boys and doting on her nine adorable grandchildren, which seemed to always include ice cream and other sweet treats. She was fond of sharing how blessed she was to have such a great family and was not shy about telling them how much she loved each and every one of them.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Earl Knudsen of Alburgh; sons, Eric Knudsen and his wife Kelly of South Burlington, Adam Knudsen and his wife Sonell of Shelburne, Matt Knudsen and his wife Karen of Shelburne, and C.J. Knudsen of Rutland; 9 grandchildren, Nick, Ben, Megan, Jack, Lauren, Ella, Emerson, Cole, and Ruby; sister-in-law, Pam Thomas, and nieces and nephews, Kristine Karch and her husband Glenn, Brian Thomas and his wife Catherine, Virginia Hambrick and her husband James, Matthew Thomas, and Ashley Porter and her husband Doug. Besides her parents, Barb was predeceased by her loving brothers, Raymond and Stephen Thomas.

Friends are invited for a Celebration of Life on Saturday August 17, 2019 at Kidder Memorial Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. and the Celebration of Life will begin at 2:00 p.m. Please come prepared with stories or fond memories to share.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Barbs name may be made to the Alburgh Public Library, P.O. Box 344, Alburgh, Vermont 05440.

Condolences, photos and favorite memories may be shared through www.gossfs.com