Barbara Brown Koons

Barbara Brown Koons was born in 1935 in Mansfield Ohio, the eldest daughter of Anna Von Endt Brown and cartoonist Scott Brown.
Growing up, she spent much of her time in her parent’s iconic soda shop in Mansfield. After graduating from high school, she worked as a reporter for two years for the Mansfield News Journal before attending the School of Journalism at Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she became a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma social sorority. She also worked for the Chicago Tribune during her time in the Chicago area. Returning to school after raising her family, Barbara received her BA from Indiana University in 1984, and her MFA from Indiana University in 1995.
Barbara’s critically acclaimed narratives and poems are known for their heartfelt descriptions of her childhood in Mansfield, and searing insights into love and loss as an adult. Her poems were published in multiple magazines and books, and she received numerous awards for her poetry. She published a single book, Night Highway, in 2004.
Barbara is preceded in death by her parents and her former husband, Karl M. Koons Jr. MD. She is survived by her sister, Linda Mizer (Ron); her 3 children, Cynthia Koons Bendush (Brad), Karl M. Koons III (Gina), and Christopher A. Kuntz (Alice); 5 grandchildren, Courtney Bendush Miller (Caleb), Skye N. Koons, Nicholas M. Kuntz, Jonathon S. Kuntz, and Katrina L. Kuntz; and 3 great grandchildren, Cate, Claire, and Caroline Miller.
Those who knew her well were blessed with a faithful friend with a brilliant mind and a caring heart.
A memorial service will be held in at Indiana Funeral Care 8151 Allisonville Rd, Indianapolis, IN Saturday, September 25. Visitation will begin at 10 am with a brief service at 11 am. Those who are not able to attend the service can watch the service on Zoom, which can be accessed through Barbara's obit on Indiana Funeral Care's web page. There will be a camera icon under the events page stating when the service will begin for you to click on. Barbara will be buried next to her parents in Lexington Cemetery near Mansfield, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to FACE/Indy Feral. Please share memories, photographs and condolences with the family at www.indianafuneralcare.com.