Barbara Ann Hastings (née Goodwin)

Barbara Ann Hastings (née Goodwin) passed away peacefully on May 13, 2026 at the age of 88, in Calgary, Alberta. She had advanced Alzheimer’s and had had difficulty recovering from a fall.

Barb (or Barbie to a few) was born in Kitchener, Ontario on October 16, 1937, to Ervin and Bonetta (Betty) Goodwin (née Elchert). 

Barb was the fourth oldest of nine children born to Ervin and Betty.  Barb had a bit of a wild side. In her youth, she could be found at the roller rink five nights a week, riding on the back of motorbikes, running track and field, and hiding in culverts from the police after pulling some questionable Halloween pranks. She also played the steel guitar in a country band with her father and sisters and helped her mom look after foster children that were brought into their home. 

In her teenage years she met Hugh Murray Baird Hastings through a mutual friend and not long after they were married. Life was good, they bought a house, had three children and Barb worked at Bonnie Stuart shoe factory. In 1969 they packed up the house, the kids and a dog and migrated west to Calgary, Alberta.

While Hugh worked for White Ram Knitting, Barb became an entrepreneur, opening Econo Knit Yarns in two locations in the city and a travelling sweater remnants business that became wildly popular in some of the rural Alberta areas.

Barb continued to dabble in sports. She tried downhill skiing, but never learned how to stop, she took up cross country skiing, tennis, running, and golf. Golf became her passion and was the activity she missed the most in her later years.

The Hastings home had an open door policy, however, one wonders if Barb expected as many wayward nephews, second cousins and offsprings’ friends as she actually received. It was never a surprise to get a knock on the door and find a young man who had hitchhiked from Ontario standing at the door.

Hugh and Barb played together, travelled together, and worked together. Their love and respect for each other was obvious. When Hugh developed brain cancer and died in 1996, Barb was devastated by his loss.

She lived a third of her life after Hugh died, working at odd jobs and fine tuning her golf skills. She golfed in leagues at Douglasdale and D’Arcy Ranch. She was an avid reader, loved jigsaw puzzles, and never missed an episode of Yellowstone or Outlander.

Barb is survived by her children Jeff (and Lori), Brian (and Lorrie), and Laurie (and Wade Woelfle). She is survived by nine grandchildren, Sean (and Molly), Carly, Lonnie (and Brian Dower), Amber, Christopher, Haylee (and Harris Cornett), Alex (and Eric Fung), Jake, and Nick. She is survived by four great-grandchildren, Quinn, Zoey, Sumi, and Finian. She is also survived by her sister and best friend Norma (and Paul Bordman). Last but not least, she is survived by her great golf partners Donna, Carol, and Helen.

Aside from her parents, Barb is predeceased by her loving husband Hugh, and her siblings Nancy, Carol, Marlene, Ross, David, and Eddie.

It was Barb’s request that there be no funeral or viewing services at her passing. Instead she wished that those wishing could head to their local pub and share some wings, a beer, and some good memories of Barb. 

Those wishing to make a donation in Barb’s honour could do so to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

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