Thermoplastic hydroxy ether polymers containing inertly substituted or unsubstituted stilbene and ether linkages in the backbone chain and pendant hydroxyl moieties are prepared by reacting (a) an inertly substituted or unsubstituted dihydroxy-stilbene with (b) a diglycidyl ether and, optionally, (c) a difunctional monomer under conditions sufficient to cause the hydroxyl moieties to react with the epoxy moieties to form ether linkages and pendant hydroxyl moieties. The polymers exhibit excellent oxygen barrier properties and are useful in packaging oxygen-sensitive materials.