Deceased Classmate: ROBERTS, Barbara (Teacher)
Date Of Birth: 1916
Date Deceased: 9-22-2011
Age at Death: 95
Cause of Death:
Classmate City: Spokane
Classmate State: WA
Classmate Country: USA
Survived By: Barbara was preceded in death by her parents and siblings. She is survived by her children, William J. Roberts (Nancy) Coronado, CA, Betsy Swanson (Tom) of Seattle, Jean Roberts Victoria, BC, Bruce Roberts (Debbie) Los Gatos, CA and Kitty Kennedy (Bruce) Spokane, WA; twelve grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

ROBERTS, Barbara (Winn) Died peacefully Thursday, September 22 at the age of 95. Barbara was born in Juneau, Territory of Alaska in 1916. Throughout life, Barbara proudly maintained her Alaskan heritage. As a schoolgirl, she and her brother netted spawning salmon and sold them to a fox farmer. She was the point guard on her high school basketball team and - in the time before rope tows or chairlifts - was a successful downhill and cross country ski racer. She was also an avid reader and a member of Rainbow Girls. After graduating from Juneau High School in 1934, she attended the University of Washington and the University of Alaska where she began a life-long affiliation with Delta Gamma Sorority. Barbara met a fellow Husky, Bill Roberts, and they married in 1938. He was a mining engineer, a career which took them to many parts of the world including Nicaragua, Colorado, Idaho and Washington. Forming a business partnership with his UW engineering classmate Frank Gibson, Bill and Barbara eventually settled in Spokane where they built a home on the South Hill. They fell in love with the area, in particular visiting and camping at many of the regional lakes. Her first sight of Priest Lake evoked strong memories of her Southeastern Alaskan roots, and she persuaded her husband that they needed a cabin there of their own. Priest Lake became the center of many happy family memories. Following Bill's death in 1966, Barbara returned to school and earned an MA in English/Education from Whitworth. She enjoyed her teaching career at Ferris and Lewis & Clark for many years, eventually retiring at age 70. Her family states: Mom's intelligence and varied interests were evidenced by the diversity in her wide circle of friends. She hiked the Pacific Northwest with the Hob Nailers, biked through Canada and Europe and traveled the world, eventually visiting six Continents. She furnished many homes with her refinished "junking" finds, taught grandchildren the business end of a rake and was an accomplished gleaner, loving nothing better than a bountiful garden or discovering "huckleberry heaven". She taught us the value of doing it yourself, the joy and importance of lifelong learning, and a very special interest in the great outdoors. We will particularly miss her presence on the deck of Klahanee, our cabin at the lake. Published on 10/17/2011