BEVERLY BARBER: 1933 - 2016

I have mentioned the fundamental impact my parents had on my passion for travel. This last week we lost my mother to Alzheimer's Disease. Below is her official obituary. I hope it gives you a small sense of who she was.

Beverly June Kingsbury Barber (b. March 26, 1933 Santa Monica, CA, d. September 8, 2016 Annapolis, MD) was proud to serve her country as the wife of 61 years to career Navy officer, Captain James A. Barber, Jr.

She met her then-future husband in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Boys Band. He was a drummer and she was his "pom-pom girl". They were married in Los Angeles on June 12, 1955, embarking on the adventurous life of a career Navy family. 

Beverly managed the multiple moves for Navy deployments around the world while raising three children: Judith Barber Joyce, Steven Barber and Susan (Suki) Barber Blackwell. She loved that the family was able to experience living in places like Yokosuka, Japan; Washington, D.C.; San Diego, California; and Pearl City, Hawaii among many others. 

Despite the pressures of a military life, Beverly always found the fun and positive to focus on, and would, when possible, jet off to exotic locations like Hong Kong or London to meet James for a week's get-together to make up for the sometimes long periods where she managed the home while he was at sea. 

After nearly three decades in the Navy, Beverly and James moved to Annapolis to allow James to assume the Chief Executive and Publisher role for the United States Naval Institute. Settling down, they made their home in Davidsonville where they have lived for the last thirty years. 

Beverly deeply loved their home, community and life together. Beverly is survived by all of the loves of her life: James, Judy, Suki, Steve and her children-in-law Cris Barber and Darren Joyce; grandchildren Anthony Pratt and his wife Jennifer, Tommy Blackwell, Andrew Blackwell, William Blackwell; and her great grandchildren Alexandra and Alden Pratt. 

Relatives and friends may call on Saturday, September 17, from 2-3 PM, followed by a funeral service at 3, at Hardesty Funeral Home, P.A , Annapolis.


Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Photo by Susan Blackwell