Barbara Keltz Norante

January 31, 2016 Last Updated: January 31, 2016 11:00 AM Death Notice

Barbara Keltz Norante of Butler passed away peacefully Dec. 23.

Born in 1924 in Latrobe, Pa., she was the daughter of Frank O. Keltz and Laura Jennings Keltz.

Barbara was a graduate of Latrobe High School, where she was the editor of the high school newspaper and yearbook. She graduated from Barnard College in New York City, where she majored in journalism and psychology, lettered in diving and also served on many dance committees.

Barbara was an avid duplicate bridge player and achieved the rank of gold life master. In 1988, Barbara and her partner and childhood friend, Jan Horwitz, won the Epson Worldwide Pairs, beating over 84,000 pairs from around the world. This accomplishment was recorded in the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest simultaneous bridge game.

Barbara enjoyed traveling with her husband and family. Her favorite destinations included Italy, France, Puerto Rico, the Greenbrier, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii and Maine. She also was known for her beautiful wardrobe.

She was a lover of mystery books and read thousands over her lifetime. She was noted to have knowledge of many varied subjects, including the arts, literature, pop culture and sports. When the family played trivia games, everyone wanted Barbara on their team. She was a fan of the Steelers as well as Pitt football and basketball.

Barbara was a longtime member of the Butler Country Club and the Butler Literary Club. She served on the South Butler County School Board for eight years and enjoyed hosting foreign exchange students while her children were in high school.

Surviving are her son, Nicholas J. Norante Jr. of Butler; two daughters, Christine (Robert) Weyant of Wexford and Virginia (Tod) Schmidt of Twinsburg, Ohio; her sister, Patricia Bonaker of Amsterdam, N.Y.; three grandchildren, Laura Weyant Erdeljac (Benjamin), Robert Joseph Weyant (Katherine) and Nicholas Marshall Norante.

Barbara also had two great-grandsons, Lucas James Erdeljac and Matthew Robert Erdeljac.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Nicholas J. Norante on March 26, 2007; her son, Frank Keltz Norante on Feb. 25, 2012; and her sister, Nancy Saxman.

NORANTE — A memorial service for Barbara Keltz Norante, who died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015, will be later.Arrangements being handled by the Fox Funeral Home, Saxonburg.Memorial donations may be made to the Butler County Humane Society or to the Community Health Clinic of Butler County.For more information, please visit www.foxfuneralhomeinc.com.