Barbara Ann (Funston) Cieslak, born on December 27, 1936, in Mansfield Ohio, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2026, at the age of 89 at Tri-City Medical Center, Oceanside, CA. She spent the last 22 years of her life in Oceanside, California, where she built meaningful friendships and became part of a welcoming community through Oceanside Terraces and Newcomers. Those friendships brought companionship, laughter, and connection throughout her years there.
While living in Mansfield, Barb worked at Westinghouse, Tappan and Thermo-Disc. She and friend Carol enjoyed many Lexington High School band events becoming the chaperones for the “Band of Gold” travelling with the band to events, including the Citrus Bowl in Florida. She enjoyed spending time at Lake Erie with her friends.
She especially enjoyed time spent with her family and took joy in watching her 10 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren grow. Family gatherings, friends and shared moments across generations were meaningful parts of her life.
She will be remembered by the many friends whose lives she touched, as well as by her family, and friends near and far. Her life was shaped by the relationships and experiences she gathered over the years, and her memory will remain with those who knew her.
To honor her wishes, Barb’s children donated her body to science, the ultimate gift of life. University of California San Diego School of Medicine received her. As an expression of their gratitude, a memorial site dedicated in honor of her donation can be found at bodydonation.ucsd.edu. The selfless donation that body donors make impacts thousands of lives by allowing healthcare professionals to better treat their future patients.
“Those we love remain with us for love itself lives on, and cherished memories never fade because a loved one’s gone. Those we love can never be more than a thought apart, for as long as there is memory, they’ll live on in the heart.” – UCSD School of Medicine
Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Iona Funston and her brother Eugene Funston Jr. She is survived by her children, Anna (Cieslak) McAfee (daughter), David Cieslak (son), Michelle Cieslak (daughter-in-law), Michael McAfee (son-in-law) and Melinda (Funston) and David Kunkel (sister and brother-in-law). She has 10 grandchildren, Alyssa, Aaron, Daniel, Tessera, Quincy, Jesse, Kyle, Amber, Bryan and Chelsea, 9 great-grandchildren, 4 boys and 5 girls and 2 great-great granddaughters as well as a number of nieces and nephews.
There will be no memorial service.
Funeral Home: University of California San Diego School of Medicine
Website: www.bodydonation.ucsd.edu