Barbara Jo Ulmer Moorhead Gaffney, known to many who loved her as Bebop, earned her angel wings and went home to be with her Lord on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Pensacola, FL, surrounded by friends and family. She was 89. Born in Dunedin, FL on May 28, 1937. She spent her lifetime collecting people, pouring into them, and leaving every room a little warmer than she found it.

She was a fierce supporter of her family and never missed a ball game, concert or school event for her children or grandchildren. When she wasn’t raising her 3 children, Bebop built a career as a nurse, a calling that suited her perfectly. She was the kind of person who genuinely cared for every soul she met and her patients were no exception.

Outside of work, she could be found playing cards with anyone brave enough to play her, rooting for her favorite college teams, pulling yarn through a crochet hook or writing a poem or script for the next event.

Bebop was a social butterfly in the truest sense. She did not just attend gatherings, she made them. She made friends everywhere she went. She had a gift for finding the connection between people and she never forgot a name.

Her faith was central to her life, and she was a devoted member of Cokesbury United Methodist Church in Pensacola, where her presence will be deeply missed.

Bebop was a beloved figure in Pensacola's Mardi Gras and Fiesta community, earning two of its highest honors. She reigned as Queen of the Krewe of Lafitte in 2005 and Queen of the Krewe of Aphrodite in 2013. She was also a member of the Maids of Luna, the Krewe of Aphrodite, and she was the Mistress of Ceremonies to many events, writing the scripts herself. To know Bebop during parade season was to see her completely in her element. She loved to “sling a bead.”

Bebop is preceded in death by her two beloved husbands: H. Reid Moorhead, Jr. and John F. Gaffney, Jr.; and by her son, Christopher A. Moorhead.

Survivors include her son, Steve Moorhead (Rhonda); two daughters, Laura Maiberger (George) and Michelle Hudson (Jed); daughter-in-law, Kim Moorhead; her grandchildren, Luke Johnson (Jessica), Brandon Moorhead (Samantha), Zachary Noel (Ruthie), Andrew Moorhead, David Moorhead (Hannah), Mallory Maiberger, Megan Maiberger, Alexander Moorhead, and Jamie Hudson; as well as her great grandchildren, Lane, Nolan, Lily, Parker, Hazel, and Tilly.

Visitation will be held 4:00pm - 6:00pm Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Funeral Service will be held at 10:00am Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Cokesbury United Methodist Church, with Rev. Brandon Bures officiating. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Cokesbury United Methodist Church in Bebop's name.

Barbara embodied grace, joy, perseverance and resilience. Now she has gone home to heaven, you can be certain she already knows everybody there.