Barbara Sweetland Smith died March 12, 2013, age 76, in Portland, Oregon. She was born on August 6, 1936 in New York City to Monroe and Lil Sweetland. She was raised in Oregon where her father was a newspaper publisher.
Barbara graduated from Mills College where she was editor of the school newspaper. She then attended the Russian Institute at Columbia University where she met her husband, Floyd V. Smith. Moving to Cambridge, Mass. She spent two years as an administrative assistant at the Harvard Russian Institute. She returned to the Northwest and was an assistant news analyst at KING TV in Seattle. After the birth of their first child she returned to graduate school where she did an intensive study of late 19th century Russian philosophers and theologians.
In 1970, Barbara and Floyd moved to Anchorage, Alaska where she taught Russian history at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Barbara was asked to study the long lost records of the Russian Orthodox Church. The book that resulted was named by the American Association of Archivists as the best book published on religious archives in 1982. She wrote several other books on the Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska.
Between her work with the Orthodox Church and the museum exhibits she curated highlighting the Russian presence in Alaska, Barbara also worked for the Aleutian Pribilof Native Association to help rectify the loses the Aleutian people had suffered during WWII. With the support of Ted Stevens, several million dollars were secured in restitution from the federal government and many churches were restored or replaced in the Aleutian islands.
Barbara's museum exhibits on Alaska as a Russian Colony, the Orthodox Church in Alaska, and Russia's voyage of exploration to Alaska were shown nationally. Barbara received international respect for her works, and was one of five Americans to receive the Order of Friendship of the Russian People by the Russian government (Two of the five were US astronauts). She also received the Order of St. Herman from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Barbara served as the President of FISH for 28 years, President of the Soroptimist Club, Board Member of the National Archives of the Episcopal Church, and held numerous positions with the Alaska Historical Society and its publications.
Barbara is survived by Floyd V. Smith, loving husband of 53 years; daughters, Lauren M. Smith of Lawndale, Ca. and Allison (Richard) Blandini of Portland; sister, Rebecca A. Sweetland; grandchildren, Raphael and Elouisa Blandini; and niece, Kathleen Sweetland-Lambird together with cousins, extended family and many devoted friends. A memorial Service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Friday, May 31 at 2:30 p.m. Donations in memory of Barbara can be made to FISH, care of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, or St. Johns United Methodist Church in Anchorage.
Barbara graduated from Mills College where she was editor of the school newspaper. She then attended the Russian Institute at Columbia University where she met her husband, Floyd V. Smith. Moving to Cambridge, Mass. She spent two years as an administrative assistant at the Harvard Russian Institute. She returned to the Northwest and was an assistant news analyst at KING TV in Seattle. After the birth of their first child she returned to graduate school where she did an intensive study of late 19th century Russian philosophers and theologians.
In 1970, Barbara and Floyd moved to Anchorage, Alaska where she taught Russian history at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Barbara was asked to study the long lost records of the Russian Orthodox Church. The book that resulted was named by the American Association of Archivists as the best book published on religious archives in 1982. She wrote several other books on the Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska.
Between her work with the Orthodox Church and the museum exhibits she curated highlighting the Russian presence in Alaska, Barbara also worked for the Aleutian Pribilof Native Association to help rectify the loses the Aleutian people had suffered during WWII. With the support of Ted Stevens, several million dollars were secured in restitution from the federal government and many churches were restored or replaced in the Aleutian islands.
Barbara's museum exhibits on Alaska as a Russian Colony, the Orthodox Church in Alaska, and Russia's voyage of exploration to Alaska were shown nationally. Barbara received international respect for her works, and was one of five Americans to receive the Order of Friendship of the Russian People by the Russian government (Two of the five were US astronauts). She also received the Order of St. Herman from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Barbara served as the President of FISH for 28 years, President of the Soroptimist Club, Board Member of the National Archives of the Episcopal Church, and held numerous positions with the Alaska Historical Society and its publications.
Barbara is survived by Floyd V. Smith, loving husband of 53 years; daughters, Lauren M. Smith of Lawndale, Ca. and Allison (Richard) Blandini of Portland; sister, Rebecca A. Sweetland; grandchildren, Raphael and Elouisa Blandini; and niece, Kathleen Sweetland-Lambird together with cousins, extended family and many devoted friends. A memorial Service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Friday, May 31 at 2:30 p.m. Donations in memory of Barbara can be made to FISH, care of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, or St. Johns United Methodist Church in Anchorage.
Barbara Sweetland Smith died March 12, 2013, age 76, in Portland, Oregon. She was born on August 6, 1936 in New York City to Monroe and Lil Sweetland. She was raised in Oregon where her father was a newspaper publisher.
Barbara graduated from Mills College where she was editor of the school newspaper. She then attended the Russian Institute at Columbia University where she met her husband, Floyd V. Smith. Moving to Cambridge, Mass. She spent two years as an administrative assistant at the Harvard Russian Institute. She returned to the Northwest and was an assistant news analyst at KING TV in Seattle. After the birth of their first child she returned to graduate school where she did an intensive study of late 19th century Russian philosophers and theologians.
In 1970, Barbara and Floyd moved to Anchorage, Alaska where she taught Russian history at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Barbara was asked to study the long lost records of the Russian Orthodox Church. The book that resulted was named by the American Association of Archivists as the best book published on religious archives in 1982. She wrote several other books on the Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska.
Between her work with the Orthodox Church and the museum exhibits she curated highlighting the Russian presence in Alaska, Barbara also worked for the Aleutian Pribilof Native Association to help rectify the loses the Aleutian people had suffered during WWII. With the support of Ted Stevens, several million dollars were secured in restitution from the federal government and many churches were restored or replaced in the Aleutian islands.
Barbara's museum exhibits on Alaska as a Russian Colony, the Orthodox Church in Alaska, and Russia's voyage of exploration to Alaska were shown nationally. Barbara received international respect for her works, and was one of five Americans to receive the Order of Friendship of the Russian People by the Russian government (Two of the five were US astronauts). She also received the Order of St. Herman from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Barbara served as the President of FISH for 28 years, President of the Soroptimist Club, Board Member of the National Archives of the Episcopal Church, and held numerous positions with the Alaska Historical Society and its publications.
Barbara is survived by Floyd V. Smith, loving husband of 53 years; daughters, Lauren M. Smith of Lawndale, Ca. and Allison (Richard) Blandini of Portland; sister, Rebecca A. Sweetland; grandchildren, Raphael and Elouisa Blandini; and niece, Kathleen Sweetland-Lambird together with cousins, extended family and many devoted friends. A memorial Service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Friday, May 31 at 2:30 p.m. Donations in memory of Barbara can be made to FISH, care of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, or St. Johns United Methodist Church in Anchorage.
Barbara graduated from Mills College where she was editor of the school newspaper. She then attended the Russian Institute at Columbia University where she met her husband, Floyd V. Smith. Moving to Cambridge, Mass. She spent two years as an administrative assistant at the Harvard Russian Institute. She returned to the Northwest and was an assistant news analyst at KING TV in Seattle. After the birth of their first child she returned to graduate school where she did an intensive study of late 19th century Russian philosophers and theologians.
In 1970, Barbara and Floyd moved to Anchorage, Alaska where she taught Russian history at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Barbara was asked to study the long lost records of the Russian Orthodox Church. The book that resulted was named by the American Association of Archivists as the best book published on religious archives in 1982. She wrote several other books on the Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska.
Between her work with the Orthodox Church and the museum exhibits she curated highlighting the Russian presence in Alaska, Barbara also worked for the Aleutian Pribilof Native Association to help rectify the loses the Aleutian people had suffered during WWII. With the support of Ted Stevens, several million dollars were secured in restitution from the federal government and many churches were restored or replaced in the Aleutian islands.
Barbara's museum exhibits on Alaska as a Russian Colony, the Orthodox Church in Alaska, and Russia's voyage of exploration to Alaska were shown nationally. Barbara received international respect for her works, and was one of five Americans to receive the Order of Friendship of the Russian People by the Russian government (Two of the five were US astronauts). She also received the Order of St. Herman from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Barbara served as the President of FISH for 28 years, President of the Soroptimist Club, Board Member of the National Archives of the Episcopal Church, and held numerous positions with the Alaska Historical Society and its publications.
Barbara is survived by Floyd V. Smith, loving husband of 53 years; daughters, Lauren M. Smith of Lawndale, Ca. and Allison (Richard) Blandini of Portland; sister, Rebecca A. Sweetland; grandchildren, Raphael and Elouisa Blandini; and niece, Kathleen Sweetland-Lambird together with cousins, extended family and many devoted friends. A memorial Service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Friday, May 31 at 2:30 p.m. Donations in memory of Barbara can be made to FISH, care of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, or St. Johns United Methodist Church in Anchorage.
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