Barbara "Bobbie" Farrall Baldus died August 17, 2014, at her La Plata home.

Born June 17, 1932, in Washington, DC, she was the daughter of Leo K. Farrall, Sr. and Adelaide Manning Farrall. Bobbie was cofounder of Baldus Real Estate and a consummate volunteer who contributed her talents and considerable energy to local organizations.

A lifelong resident of Charles County, Bobbie graduated from Sacred Heart School, attended Mount Saint Agnes College and Strayer Business College and worked for Southern Maryland Oil. She married her childhood sweetheart, Carl R. Baldus, Jr., on June 27, 1953, and joined Carl in his farm management and appraising business. Her favorite task was selling the farmers' tobacco at the tobacco market. Bobbie and Carl started Baldus Real Estate in 1960, where her specialty became selling historic homes.

Bobbie was crowned Queen Nicotina in 1951, and served on numerous organizations and boards throughout her life. She spearheaded an effort to decorate the town of La Plata with Christmas lights for more than 30 years, and along with others ensured a holiday star was mounted on the top of La Plata's water tower, even after the 2002 tornado. She was a member of the Charles County Garden Club and active in the Federated Garden Club of Maryland. She helped start the Sacred Heart Teen Club in 1974, and she was instrumental in forming the Civista Foundation and the Mardi Gras fundraisers that helped support the Foundation. She assisted with the early formation of the Hospice Festival of Trees and was co-chair of the yearlong Charles County 350th Anniversary celebration.

Year after year, Bobbie created and performed in an elaborate skit to kick off a charity auction, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships, at the annual American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Convention.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Leo K. Farrall, Jr.; sisters Dorothy Eleanor Cooksey and Helen Mitchell; and grandson, Chris Grier. She is survived by her sister, Betty Vaughan of La Plata; sister-in-law, Betty Baldus Verona of Sommerville, S.C.; daughter, Bonnie Baldus Grier and husband Keith of Port Tobacco; son, Rick Baldus and wife Margee of La Plata; daughter, Teri Rugeley and husband Ned of Charleston, W.Va.; grandsons Jake Grier, Rudy and Louie Baldus and Wells Rugeley; and granddaughters Katie Rugeley, Sallie, Corinne and Addie Baldus.

Visitation will be held on Friday, August 22, 2014, at Sacred Heart Church in La Plata, from 2-7 p.m. Funeral will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2014, at 11 a.m., at Sacred Heart. Interment to follow at the St. Ignatius Cemetery, Port Tobacco, MD.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Charles Regional Medical Center Foundation (CRMC Foundation), P.O. Box 1701, La Plata, MD 20646 or Angel's Watch Shelter, P.O. Box 613, Hughesville, MD 20637.

Arrangements provided by Arehart-Echols Funeral Home.