Dorothy Ann Barber
March 5, 1929 – July 13, 2017
Ann (née Hamilton) was born in her family home in Nelson, BC. As a child, she spent summers frolicking on Kokanee Beach and winters playing in the snow. After graduating from high school, Ann headed to BSS in Toronto for Gr. 13, making new lifelong friends. After graduating with a BA from U of T, Ann hitchhiked across Europe in 1951 with girlfriends – long before it was the thing to do!
As Mum loved snow and cold weather activities, it’s no surprise she met her future husband during a U of T party – in a snow bank! Jim and Ann were married in 1951. They raised four children in West Vancouver, where Ann and Jim instilled the love of outdoors in their children with ski trips, summers swimming and rowing on Kootenay Lake, and Sunday walks in Lighthouse Park. A delicious and adventuresome cook, she passed on her love of good healthy food to her children.
Ann approached everything with gusto! She was an enthusiastic lifelong volunteer and took leadership roles in the Anglican Church, Canadian Federation of University Women Club (CFUW) and the NS Volunteer Action Centre. She hosted bridge parties and dinner parties. She especially loved when the “English relations” came to visit!
In 1987, Salt Spring Island called, and she and Jim began their new life, soon filled with new friends and roles through the church, Trail and Nature Club, the library and CFUW. The grandchildren loved visiting their beautiful waterfront home.
Ann enjoyed life to the fullest with lots of outdoor adventures: downhill and X-country skiing, cycling the Gulf Islands, zodiac-ing in the Queen Charlottes, hiking, walking and bird watching, Despite valiant tries, she never did master tennis or water-skiing!
Ann always had her furry friends nearby as well: Timmy, Maggi, Chelsea and Penzy were her walking companions for many years. Penzy joined Ann and Jim on their epic trips across Canada and up to the Yukon in their Dodge Ram van.
We will remember Ann for her wit and her bite (as one person recently said, “She was always original!”), her intelligence and humour, her laughter and smile, big family dinners around the table, dynamic conversations, delicious cookies, daily morning exercises (even when camping in a small tent!), and as kids, being dragged around the block canvassing for yet another charity, the way she swam in the ocean with her feet sticking out…
Predeceased by husband Jim (2012) and daughter Suzie (1969) and son-in-law Mitch (2017), Ann will be very sadly missed by Tony (Ivana), Brian, and Jennifer; 9 grandchildren: Jackie and Alex Barber; Thomas, Samantha and Madeline Barber; Pippa, Simon, Daniel and Robyn Millerd; and 3 great grandchildren Tal, Freya and Rowen.
Ann’s family thanks the entire Greenwoods staff from the bottom of their hearts for the loving, compassionate and playful care they gave our mum over the last five years. She especially loved the music, back scratches and joking! We also thank Dr. Dan Kalf for his kindness and understanding, and expedient trips to Greenwoods as needed.
A service will be held this Thursday July 20 @ 1:30 pm at All Saints by the Sea Anglican Church on Park Drive. If you should care to do so, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Greenwoods Foundation would be much appreciated.