July 17, 1953 to May 5, 2019.
Barbara was born in Trenton, NJ. and raised, along with her 5 siblings, in the nearby Township of Hamilton. As the second oldest she took on many domestic responsibilities from making school lunches to laundry duty. During her college years she stayed at home and it was not unusual for her to hold two jobs. After completing her teaching degree and seeking something different she moved west. She took a teaching position at St. Michaels, Arizona, near Window Rock, teaching on the Navajo Reservation. Over the course of two years she lived in a Navajo community and explored the southwest and U.S. west coast.
Her next stop was further west, even west of Hawaii, seven hours flying time west, to the island of Guam. There she taught at Santa Barbara School in the village of Dededo. She was sent a one-way ticket. Guam proved a great springboard to explore the rest of Micronesia and the nearby Asian countries of Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Barb also managed a trip to Ireland.
On Guam Barbara was asked to go on a sailing date aboard a 16’ catamaran. Within 6 months she had married the captain. Within a year of their nuptials they sold all they owned and with backpacks ready, struck off with only a general itinerary and no reservations into the South Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Nepal (completing a 2 week on-their-own trek). Finally, after a year of traveling Barbara was offered a librarian position on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.
After about 18 months in the Caribbean they returned to the mainland US. Their dream vehicle was a lime green VW Camper which they used to crisscross the country even transiting the northern Rockies in winter. This time they landed outside Philadelphia. After a year they moved to Boston where Barbara worked at the Harvard Business School library.
Her husband, Dan, was able to find an 18-month position with the United Nations in Thailand. They arrived there in time for the birth of her first child. After Bangkok they lived in Jakarta, Indonesia. The family returned to Guam for 5 years where she worked as a librarian at St. John’s School, and gave birth to her second child. But while 5 months pregnant she went on a one month camping road trip in Europe.
Next stop was Barrow, Alaska, 350 miles north of the Arctic Circle situated on the Arctic Ocean. This led to 3 years of living and working in a predominately Inuit community. During this time she completed her Master of Library Science from Syracuse University, NY.
Then an offer came to move to Warsaw, Poland. That project had a 15-month life which allowed for extensive travel within Poland and personal hops to Ireland, Egypt, and Italy.
In 1999 they decided to return to San Diego, Dan’s home town, where they settled down to domestic bliss. She loved working at Dana Middle School library a position she held for 9 years. In 2012 they both finally retired. In “retirement” they purchased a small RV, and again traveled the US and Canada. During this time, they finally made it to all 50 states.
Barbara had a distinctive laugh and has been described as a bright light shedding warmth, friendship, generosity and humor to all who knew her. She was a loving mother and devoted wife and stayed close to her family. Barbara is predeceased by her father, J. Robert Kinsley and survived by her mother Anne (Dietrich) Kinsley, her husband Dan and children Kelly and Charles and her favorite son-in-law Griffin Hagle. Also surviving are brothers Robert (Brenda), William (Emily), Patrick (Robin) and Tim and sister Susan Dunsmoor, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial celebration will be held at The Harp, 4935 Newport Ave. in Ocean Beach, on Sunday June 9th starting at 2 PM.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.6