Charlette Barkley

October 2, 1945 – September 20, 2026

Charlette Barkley, 80, passed away on September 20, 2026, leaving behind people who loved her deeply. She is survived by her nephews, Timmy Parr and Raymond Parr, as well as TJ and Tiara Dixon and their family, who shared nearly three decades of love, devotion, and life with Charlette.

Charlette’s story was not always an easy one. As a young child, she experienced hardships that most children should never have to face. One story from her childhood perhaps says more about who Charlette was than anything else could. When she and her siblings were very young, they were found alone with very little food. Even though Charlette herself was hungry, she would not take the milk and food that were offered to her until she knew there would be enough for her baby sister. She was only a little girl, but already she was putting someone she loved ahead of herself.

Charlette later grew up on a farm in Arkansas with her adoptive parents and siblings, a time in her life she remembered with great affection. She loved sharing stories about growing up on the farm—milking cows, gathering eggs, and the everyday chores and adventures of country life. Those memories remained special to Charlette throughout her life, as did the family she grew up with and loved dearly.

That same loving and giving heart would define the rest of her life.

In 1997, Charlette was living across the street from TJ and Tiara Dixon in Liberty, Missouri, when she began babysitting their first child, Anna. What began as a neighbor helping care for a baby soon became something much more.

As TJ and Tiara’s family grew, Charlette was there. She helped care for all five of their children—Anna, Joey, Laura, Lisa, and Teddi—and loved each of them dearly.

When TJ and Tiara eventually decided to move their growing family from Liberty to the country, Charlette was heartbroken at the thought of them leaving. By then, however, Charlette wasn’t simply the babysitter who lived across the street. She had become family.

So the family moved together.

Charlette came to live with TJ, Tiara, and the children and made her home with them for many years. Later, when the children became old enough that they no longer needed her daily care, Charlette moved into an apartment of her own nearby. But moving into her own home never meant moving out of the family.

The children continued visiting her as they grew into adults. Charlette remained part of Christmases, Thanksgivings, celebrations, milestones, and the ordinary moments that make a family a family.

Charlette never had much in the way of material possessions, but somehow she always had something to give. She made sure the children had gifts and never missed an opportunity to show them how much she loved them. What Charlette had in abundance was kindness, loyalty, generosity, and a remarkable capacity to love.

She approached life with a sweet, almost childlike sense of wonder. She never drove a car or had a driver’s license, but in many ways Charlette’s world was much bigger than that. Her world was made up of the people she loved—and she loved them completely.

Charlette was married for many years to her husband, Bill Barkley, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Billy Gibbs, and her sister, Marilyn Parr.

For almost 30 years, Charlette was woven into the story of the Dixon family. She helped raise five children, watched them grow up, and continued loving them long after they no longer needed a babysitter. In return, they loved her, cared for her, and made sure she always had a family and a place where she belonged.

Throughout her life, that same love extended to her own family, including her nephews, Timmy and Raymond. The little girl who once made sure her younger sister was cared for grew into a woman whose life was characterized by caring for others.

Serving as pallbearers will be Teddy Dixon, Anna Milligan, Joseph Dixon, Laura Bentz, Lisa Dixon, and Teddi Paxton. In a fitting final act of love, TJ and the five children Charlette helped raise will have the honor of carrying her to her final resting place.

Some people enter our lives quietly and, without anyone realizing it at the time, become part of the very fabric of our family.

Charlette was one of those people.

And if there truly are angels who walk among us, those who loved Charlette believe Charlette Barkley was as close to one as they may ever know.