Barbara “Barb” Ricki Racioppo

Barbara “Barb” Ricki Racioppo, beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, passed away on December 1, 2025, with her husband by her side. Born to the late Helen and Ray Scholts, Barb lived a life marked by kindness, insight, and quiet strength.

Barb and Vince Racioppo first met in first grade, beginning a friendship that carried them through their school years. After college, they reconnected, rediscovered one another as adults, and married in 1976. They shared 49 years of marriage—years filled with deep mutual love, caring, and companionship.

Barb earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Rosalind Franklin University and devoted 30 years to a meaningful and impactful career as a psychologist. Her empathy, wisdom, and rare ability to truly listen helped countless individuals find healing, direction, and hope. When she retired in 2022, she left behind a legacy of compassion and professional excellence.

Faith played a steady and grounding role in Barb’s life. At one time, she even considered becoming a Presbyterian minister, having been accepted to three seminaries. She was a longtime member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Illinois. After she and Vince moved to Wisconsin, she joined Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, where she quickly became a cherished friend and an active, trusted presence. Her gentle spirit enriched the lives of many in the congregation.

Barb had a lifelong love of reading and a home always filled with classical music, which played softly throughout the day. She expressed her creativity through sewing and knitting, crafting pieces with care and precision. In recent years, she embraced quilting and discovered deep joy in its peaceful rhythms, patterns, and colors. The quilts she created were given to friends or donated to charitable causes—each one an expression of her generosity and love.

Nature was one of Barb’s greatest joys. She loved hiking and seemed to know the name of every flower along the trail. She found beauty in every season and delighted in gardening, nurturing plants with the same patience and attentiveness she offered to the people in her life.

Barb also cherished her friends, forming deep, lifelong relationships. She loved them dearly, and they loved her in return—relationships built on trust, loyalty, shared laughter, and heartfelt connection. Barb held a deep concern for those who struggled or lived without enough. She believed in caring for neighbors, supporting the vulnerable, and sharing what one could. In her honor, a donation to your local food pantry would be greatly appreciated.

Barb is survived by her husband, Vince; her daughter, Abby; and her sister, Lisa Rupert, who will forever hold her memory close. She is preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Ray. Barb loved Abby immeasurably and thought about her ways only a devoted mother can—her love steady, protective, and enduring.

Barb will be remembered for her compassion, her quiet wisdom, and the way she made others feel seen, valued, and cared for. Though she is profoundly missed, the grace, love, and kindness she shared continue to live on in all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Barb’s Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, 2366 North 80th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Reception will start at 10:00 AM and the Service will be followed by a light luncheon.

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