Barbara Jean Melton died on February 23, 2018, at the age of 71, of small cell lung cancer. Barbara was born in Atmore, Alabama on October 7, 1946 to Lola Mae (Culver) and Thomas Albert Melton. Although she left the South as a young child, with her mother and sister, she embraced her southern roots. She was raised primarily in Lawton, Oklahoma by her mother and stepfather, Lieutenant Colonel Donald P. McCutchen. She graduated from Lawton High School in 1964. Barbara was married to Nick Richards of Lawton from 1967 - 1983. They had one child together, Nicole Richards. Barbara attended Cameron University, from which she received a Bachelor of Business Administration. Since 1986, she had been living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where she had a successful career in the health insurance industry. Along the way, she developed many long-lasting friendships. Barbara enjoyed good food and wine, cooking, reading, music, dancing, art, and travel. She loved spending time with family including her extended family throughout the country. She was outgoing, fun, classy, smart, witty, honest, thoughtful and caring. She was the best mother and friend I could have ever wanted. She is preceded in death by her father, mother, and stepfather. Survivors include her daughter, Nicole Richards; sister, Elizabeth Pearson; nephew, David Loudenback and niece, Mary Loudenback Hart; two aunts, Mary (Culver) Herring and Wilma Houston Culver; two of her mother's cousins, Gene Culver and Virginia (Culver) Snyder; her first husband, Nick Richards, thirteen cousins, and several great nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation at www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org "If you had not have fallen Then I would not have found you Angel flying too close to the ground And I patched up your broken wing and hung around a while Trying to keep your spirits up and your fever down I knew someday that you would fly away For loves the greatest healer to be found So leave me if you need to, I will still remember Angel flying too close to the ground Fly on, fly on past the speed of sound Id rather see you up than see you down So leave me if you need to, I will still remember Angel flying too close to the ground. So leave me if you need to, I will still remember Angel flying too close to the ground." Willie Nelson Arrangements under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700