Barbara Van Ausdall, née Silk, 91, born in Lowell, MA and formerly of Estes Park, CO, passed away February 29, 2024. Beloved wife of Peter “Pete” Van Ausdall; loving mother of Steven Van Ausdall and David Van Ausdall; cherished grandmother of Parrish, Tea, Conor, Hailey, Cameron “Cami”, and Aidan Van Ausdall; she is also survived by her daughters-in-law Aimee Van Ausdall and Marie Marchand. Barbara loved life and family, she loved the mountains and the ocean, and she loved hiking and bird watching. Her fondest memories from her childhood were of her time spent at summer camp in Massachusetts; swimming and canoeing in the lake. She was an avid puzzler. She graduated from Lowell Teachers College and participated in a team-teaching program sponsored by Harvard University while teaching in Lexington, MA. Barbara met Pete at a Square Dance at the University of Colorado in Boulder during a teacher’s conference, and square dancing became a lifetime activity. She was a career early childhood and special reading educator. Pete and Barbara were snowbirds in retirement and lived in Estes Park, CO during the summer and Mesa, AZ during the winter.
A memorial service will be held later. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Rocky Mountain Conservancy or Desert Botanical Garden Foundation.
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