Barbara D. Berkey Beloved mother grandmother and great grandmother Barbara Berkey passed away January 11th, 2017 ending a generation of Volz family siblings. The loving eyes of her beautiful soul saw the beauty, spirit and possibilities in everything and everyone.
Born September 10th, 1927 at Providence Hospital in Seattle to parents Herbert C. and Mary Volz she was the middle child of two older brothers Raymond and Robert and two younger sisters Carla (Olsen) and Joanna (Nickrenz). Barbara was born and raised in Bremerton where she went to grade school and Olympic Junior College. She is also a proud Cougar Alumni attending Washington State College before it was WSU. In the 4th thru 9th grade at Smith School she was classmates with John Berkey who was also born at Providence. Her family moved to Seattle briefly where she graduated from Roosevelt High School but returned to Bremerton and while at the newly opened OJC she started dating her former grade school classmate John in 1947. Barbara was working as a bank teller in Bremerton when John and Barbara were married on February 5th, 1949. Barbara continued to work to help support John while he finished his education after serving in the Navy during the War. They moved to Seattle and had their first child. After John graduated from UW they took up an adventure in Kalinin Bay Alaska helping her brother Robert run a 65 foot fish packer and modest general store. John began his 38 year career at Boeing in 1956 and together they had three more children in the four years to follow. A compassionate soul passionate about life Barbara never stopped learning, exploring literature and art from the inside out. Not content to just listen to music she played piano and bought the sheet music to play and sing her favorite songs. She studied the masters and immersed herself in painting and sculpture as a young mother creating many expressive works even exhibiting pieces. She loved to read to her children. When they were past primary years she would read classic novels to them, learn Japanese and Chinese with them at home rather then watch TV. She took great pains to prepare healthy gourmet meals for her family. She dedicated herself to her family taking amazing care of her own mother and her aunt in their final years. Barbara and John moved their family to an Auburn area ranch home raising horses, chickens and rabbits then to an Edgewood ranch where they owned as many as 12 horses so that her children could have a wonderful experience of living on a farm. Barbara got her real estate license and used the experience moving the family several times over the years to upgrade the Berkey family home relocating to Puyallup, Bonney Lake and Sumner. After John's retirement he and Barbara spent many years on vast adventures travelling the southwest and Mexico. During this time Barbara taught herself French and Spanish. As snowbirds they were based out of Tacoma then finally settling in Sumner until they were unable to travel any longer. John preceded her in death in 2013.
Barbara is survived by three of her four children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren creating many new generations.
Barbara will be laid to rest with John, her loving husband of 64 years, at the Tahoma National Cemetery.
Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on Feb. 5, 2017
Born September 10th, 1927 at Providence Hospital in Seattle to parents Herbert C. and Mary Volz she was the middle child of two older brothers Raymond and Robert and two younger sisters Carla (Olsen) and Joanna (Nickrenz). Barbara was born and raised in Bremerton where she went to grade school and Olympic Junior College. She is also a proud Cougar Alumni attending Washington State College before it was WSU. In the 4th thru 9th grade at Smith School she was classmates with John Berkey who was also born at Providence. Her family moved to Seattle briefly where she graduated from Roosevelt High School but returned to Bremerton and while at the newly opened OJC she started dating her former grade school classmate John in 1947. Barbara was working as a bank teller in Bremerton when John and Barbara were married on February 5th, 1949. Barbara continued to work to help support John while he finished his education after serving in the Navy during the War. They moved to Seattle and had their first child. After John graduated from UW they took up an adventure in Kalinin Bay Alaska helping her brother Robert run a 65 foot fish packer and modest general store. John began his 38 year career at Boeing in 1956 and together they had three more children in the four years to follow. A compassionate soul passionate about life Barbara never stopped learning, exploring literature and art from the inside out. Not content to just listen to music she played piano and bought the sheet music to play and sing her favorite songs. She studied the masters and immersed herself in painting and sculpture as a young mother creating many expressive works even exhibiting pieces. She loved to read to her children. When they were past primary years she would read classic novels to them, learn Japanese and Chinese with them at home rather then watch TV. She took great pains to prepare healthy gourmet meals for her family. She dedicated herself to her family taking amazing care of her own mother and her aunt in their final years. Barbara and John moved their family to an Auburn area ranch home raising horses, chickens and rabbits then to an Edgewood ranch where they owned as many as 12 horses so that her children could have a wonderful experience of living on a farm. Barbara got her real estate license and used the experience moving the family several times over the years to upgrade the Berkey family home relocating to Puyallup, Bonney Lake and Sumner. After John's retirement he and Barbara spent many years on vast adventures travelling the southwest and Mexico. During this time Barbara taught herself French and Spanish. As snowbirds they were based out of Tacoma then finally settling in Sumner until they were unable to travel any longer. John preceded her in death in 2013.
Barbara is survived by three of her four children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren creating many new generations.
Barbara will be laid to rest with John, her loving husband of 64 years, at the Tahoma National Cemetery.
Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on Feb. 5, 2017
Barbara D. Berkey Beloved mother grandmother and great grandmother Barbara Berkey passed away January 11th, 2017 ending a generation of Volz family siblings. The loving eyes of her beautiful soul saw the beauty, spirit and possibilities in everything and everyone.
Born September 10th, 1927 at Providence Hospital in Seattle to parents Herbert C. and Mary Volz she was the middle child of two older brothers Raymond and Robert and two younger sisters Carla (Olsen) and Joanna (Nickrenz). Barbara was born and raised in Bremerton where she went to grade school and Olympic Junior College. She is also a proud Cougar Alumni attending Washington State College before it was WSU. In the 4th thru 9th grade at Smith School she was classmates with John Berkey who was also born at Providence. Her family moved to Seattle briefly where she graduated from Roosevelt High School but returned to Bremerton and while at the newly opened OJC she started dating her former grade school classmate John in 1947. Barbara was working as a bank teller in Bremerton when John and Barbara were married on February 5th, 1949. Barbara continued to work to help support John while he finished his education after serving in the Navy during the War. They moved to Seattle and had their first child. After John graduated from UW they took up an adventure in Kalinin Bay Alaska helping her brother Robert run a 65 foot fish packer and modest general store. John began his 38 year career at Boeing in 1956 and together they had three more children in the four years to follow. A compassionate soul passionate about life Barbara never stopped learning, exploring literature and art from the inside out. Not content to just listen to music she played piano and bought the sheet music to play and sing her favorite songs. She studied the masters and immersed herself in painting and sculpture as a young mother creating many expressive works even exhibiting pieces. She loved to read to her children. When they were past primary years she would read classic novels to them, learn Japanese and Chinese with them at home rather then watch TV. She took great pains to prepare healthy gourmet meals for her family. She dedicated herself to her family taking amazing care of her own mother and her aunt in their final years. Barbara and John moved their family to an Auburn area ranch home raising horses, chickens and rabbits then to an Edgewood ranch where they owned as many as 12 horses so that her children could have a wonderful experience of living on a farm. Barbara got her real estate license and used the experience moving the family several times over the years to upgrade the Berkey family home relocating to Puyallup, Bonney Lake and Sumner. After John's retirement he and Barbara spent many years on vast adventures travelling the southwest and Mexico. During this time Barbara taught herself French and Spanish. As snowbirds they were based out of Tacoma then finally settling in Sumner until they were unable to travel any longer. John preceded her in death in 2013.
Barbara is survived by three of her four children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren creating many new generations.
Barbara will be laid to rest with John, her loving husband of 64 years, at the Tahoma National Cemetery.
Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on Feb. 5, 2017
Born September 10th, 1927 at Providence Hospital in Seattle to parents Herbert C. and Mary Volz she was the middle child of two older brothers Raymond and Robert and two younger sisters Carla (Olsen) and Joanna (Nickrenz). Barbara was born and raised in Bremerton where she went to grade school and Olympic Junior College. She is also a proud Cougar Alumni attending Washington State College before it was WSU. In the 4th thru 9th grade at Smith School she was classmates with John Berkey who was also born at Providence. Her family moved to Seattle briefly where she graduated from Roosevelt High School but returned to Bremerton and while at the newly opened OJC she started dating her former grade school classmate John in 1947. Barbara was working as a bank teller in Bremerton when John and Barbara were married on February 5th, 1949. Barbara continued to work to help support John while he finished his education after serving in the Navy during the War. They moved to Seattle and had their first child. After John graduated from UW they took up an adventure in Kalinin Bay Alaska helping her brother Robert run a 65 foot fish packer and modest general store. John began his 38 year career at Boeing in 1956 and together they had three more children in the four years to follow. A compassionate soul passionate about life Barbara never stopped learning, exploring literature and art from the inside out. Not content to just listen to music she played piano and bought the sheet music to play and sing her favorite songs. She studied the masters and immersed herself in painting and sculpture as a young mother creating many expressive works even exhibiting pieces. She loved to read to her children. When they were past primary years she would read classic novels to them, learn Japanese and Chinese with them at home rather then watch TV. She took great pains to prepare healthy gourmet meals for her family. She dedicated herself to her family taking amazing care of her own mother and her aunt in their final years. Barbara and John moved their family to an Auburn area ranch home raising horses, chickens and rabbits then to an Edgewood ranch where they owned as many as 12 horses so that her children could have a wonderful experience of living on a farm. Barbara got her real estate license and used the experience moving the family several times over the years to upgrade the Berkey family home relocating to Puyallup, Bonney Lake and Sumner. After John's retirement he and Barbara spent many years on vast adventures travelling the southwest and Mexico. During this time Barbara taught herself French and Spanish. As snowbirds they were based out of Tacoma then finally settling in Sumner until they were unable to travel any longer. John preceded her in death in 2013.
Barbara is survived by three of her four children, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren creating many new generations.
Barbara will be laid to rest with John, her loving husband of 64 years, at the Tahoma National Cemetery.
Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on Feb. 5, 2017
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