TRIBUTE (Obituary)

Barbara (Bauer) Pfaff passed away on May 5, 2022. Barb has been a part of the twirling community for the majority of her life. She started taking dance classes from The Norma Valentine School of Dance in Barberton, Ohio at a very young age. The director formed a baton group called the Valentines, who marched in many parades around the Akron area. Eventually my mom’s father, Bernie Bauer, started the Baton and Drum Corps the Charmettes. My mom was the head majorette for the Charmettes, and helped choreograph their routines. Barb was also a majorette for Manchester High School.

Red Marauders Baton Corps

Barb got married and moved away from the Akron area, and started her own baton group the Red Marauders in 1973 in Willard, Ohio. The Red Marauders participated in local parades and also competed at NBTA (National Baton Twirling Association) and TU (Twirling Unlimited) competitions. They have won numerous local, state and national titles. Her students also won multiple Miss Majorette of Ohio awards and Regional pageant titles. Barb was selected as the Corps. Director of the Year at NBTA nationals, and was the 2014 Buckeye Award For Excellence in Twirling recipient. Barb and her dad Bernie also have an NBTA Dynasty Traveling Trophy named after them, the Bauer/Pfaff Dynasty Award. Barb was an NBTA and TU judge for over 50 years.

Willard, Plymouth HS Majorette Advisor

Barb was also the majorette and color guard advisor at several of the local high schools. Her longest tenures as a majorette advisor were at Willard High School and Plymouth High School in Ohio. Barb had many baton students who twirled on the high school majorette lines at local high schools. She also had several students who went on to twirl at the college level at Ashland University, Bowling Green State University, Toledo University, Baldwin Wallace University, and Kent State University.

Barb enjoyed being a baton twirler herself, and enjoyed teaching others to love the sport as well. Baton twirling gave her many wonderful memories, and watching her two daughters and her granddaughter, Haley Henry, learn to love twirling brought her great joy. She loved traveling to judge at competitions, and cherished all of the friendships she formed through baton twirling over the years.

Source: Valerie Pfaff Henry