Barbara Von Buxhoeveden Ainsa

Barbara von Buxhoeveden Ainsa peacefully passed away on February 4, 2022 in Austin, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Baron Heinrich von Buxhoeveden and Julia Gross von Buxhoeveden, and Ingeborg von Broich Oppert from Barbara’s mother’s first marriage. She is survived by her husband, Francis (Frank) S. Ainsa, Jr, her brother Hans von Buxhoeveden and his two children, Julia A. von Buxhoeveden Patrick (Jeff Patrick), Tyson von Buxhoeveden (Monica von Buxhoeveden), and Juergen von Broich Oppert from Barbara’s mother’s first marriage.

Barbara’s father, Baron Heinrich von Buxhoeveden was born in Estonia to a Baltic noble family. Estonia and Latvia were originally known as Livonia. The Baltic noble families were German descendants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and the Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem (Teutonic Knights). The Livonian Brothers and the Teutonic Knights served as crusading military orders for the protection of Christians in the Baltics during the Middle Ages. Over time heads of the noble families in Livonia became known as the Baltic Barons. The von Buxhoeveden family possesses a family book of records placing a von Buxhoeveden in Livonia in the twelfth century. Baron von Buxhoeveden was reared on his family’s estate on the island of Oesel (now Saaremaa) in the Baltic Sea. He was educated in a military school in St. Petersburg. Until the Russian Revolution, the Baltic Barons had close relationships with the Russian Czars. Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden (1883-1956) was a lady in waiting to the Tsarina Alexandra of Russia. The Baltic Barons fought the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution, which caused a complete break with the past. In Estonia, the titles baron and baroness were hereditary and thus passed to each succeeding generation. Barbara and her brother Hans were identified as baroness and baron on their German passports until they relinquished their titles when they were naturalized as American citizens.

Barbara’s mother, Julia Gross von Buxhoeveden, was born in Dresden, Germany. Her father owned a manufacturing facility producing industrial belts and pulleys. Julia von Buxhoeveden’s father gave her a home in Berlin as a marriage gift. Due to wartime conditions, until 1945, Barbara and her brother Hans were reared on the family estate in Estonia. In 1945, after the Soviets invaded Estonia, Barbara’s father gathered his family, abandoned the family estate, and fled to Germany to take up residence in their home in Berlin. The return to Berlin occurred at about the same time the Soviet Army reached Berlin. Baron von Buxhoeveden was able to spend a short time with his family before he was taken into captivity by the Soviet army as a prisoner of war. He was never seen again. Barbara’s mother finally learned in 1953 from a Red Cross worker that Baron von Buxhoeveden had died of Tuberculosis in a Soviet prisoner of war camp in 1945.

Shortly after Baron von Buxhoeveden was taken prisoner, the U.S. Army also reached Berlin along with British and French forces. Julia von Buxhoeveden’s home was located in the part of Berlin that was occupied and secured by the Western Allies, which became known as West Berlin. The remaining part of the city became known as East Berlin. By agreement among the Western Allies, West Berlin was divided into three sectors: American, British and French. In a stroke of good fortune, Julia von Buxhoeveden’s home was situated in the American sector, which was about one mile from the headquarters of the U.S. Army’s Berlin Brigade. Barbara had vivid memories of the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, which saved West Berlin’s residents from the Soviet Union’s attempt to starve the city into cutting ties with the West.

After graduation from UT Law in 1968, Frank went on active duty with the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Berlin Brigade. Barbara had been working for British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (now British Airways) but in early 1968 began working in the Adjutant General’s Office at the Berlin Brigade Headquarters. Barbara and Frank met on November 30, 1968 and were married on December 28, 1969 by the Brigade Catholic Chaplain and a German Jesuit priest. They celebrated their fifty-second anniversary on December 28, 2021.

Prior to her marriage to Frank, Barbara had never visited the southwestern part of the U.S. and had a somewhat “imperfect” vision of the Chihuahuan desert. After their arrival at Kennedy Airport in September 1970, Frank and Barbara drove to El Paso via Austin. Frank recalls that he continuously reminded Barbara that the trip through the southeastern part of the US and central Texas was going to remind her of Germany, but the landscape would change when they traveled the last leg from Austin to El Paso. By the time they reached Sonora, Barbara was asking silly questions about the then noticeable absence of trees and rivers. As they passed through Ozona, Frank confirmed her growing suspicions that there was going to be a lot of desert in her life going forward.

Barbara got over her desert shock and began making lifelong friends. She had a vivacious personality and a keen interest in music and civic matters. She became involved with the Fort Bliss Officers’ Host Family Program, the El Paso Symphony Guild, the Children’s Symphony, the Chamber Music Festival and the Pan American Round Table. When Barbara arrived in El Paso, she was a skilled plyer of Skat, a German card game similar to Bridge. She quickly learned how to play Bridge and soon became a sought-after partner. Barbara was a very talented decorator and collector of fine art and bronze sculpture by Marco Oviedo of Chimayo, New Mexico. One of her most favorite pieces of fine art was the City of Tallin, Estonia, painted by David Fickett of El Paso, which hangs on the wall of her home to this day.

Barbara rarely spoke about her noble title. Frank recalls that the only El Pasoan who actually addressed Barbara by her title was James Arthur (Flip) Lyle. Flip learned of the title from his wife, Martha Lee (Tita) Gayle Lyle who was one of Barbara’s close friends. With a wicked grin Flip would regularly greet her as “the Baroness. Barbara took it good stride. At one point Barbara considered rewarding Flip for his “deference” to her noble title by asking him to become her footman. She abandoned that idea after Frank told her there was a 50/50 chance Flip would accept the offer and then they would have to provide him with room, board and a salary.

Barbara was a lifelong opera fan and, prior to moving to El Paso, had season tickets to the Deutsche Oper Berlin, one of the finest opera companies in the world. She continued this interest with the Santa Fe Opera. Every summer, for more than 40 years, Barbara and Frank would trek to Santa Fe for an opera or two.

Barbara’s utmost interest was travel. She and Frank took many land trips, but she was a cruiser at heart. They traveled to ports in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Columbia, Ireland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Russia, Finland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Croatia, Turkey, the Greek Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, St. Martin, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Frank graduated from UT Law and always had a strong attraction to Austin and the Hill Country. Barbara fell in love with Austin, too. In 1999 they purchased a condominium in Austin to explore central Texas. Eventually, Frank and Barbara decided to relocate to Austin and built a retirement home there in 2013. They did not move until 2016 but by early 2019 had to curb travel and other activities after Barbara was diagnosed with cancer. She put up a courageous fight while being treated at MD Anderson in Houston. Special thanks are due to Dr. John V. Heymach of MD Anderson who extended Barbara’s life through his dedication to cancer research and to his Nurse Practitioner, Melody Caranto who provided unwavering support to Barbara during her treatment at MD Anderson. Barbara spent her final days in the care of Hospice Austin. Frank is grateful to Barbara’s Hospice nurse, Paige Sabatino, RN and her caregiver, Gloria Benton (Right at Home), who made her feel comfortable as the end of her life approached.

The Ainsa family(Dorothy Schatzman, Mike Ainsa/Trisha Ainsa, Steve Ainsa/Christina Ainsa, Mary Ainsa Bell/ Robert Bell and Kathy Ainsa Harang) and the von Buxhoeveden family (Hans/Helen von Buxhoeveden, Julia von Buxhoeveden Patrick/Jeff Patrick, Tyson von Buxhoeveden/Monica von Buxhoeveden) stayed in close touch with Barbara and Frank during the last few months, and with Frank during the last three weeks, with words of comfort and flowers when such things were welcome and calming.

Frank was especially grateful for the prayers said on Barbara’s behalf throughout her illness by Bishop Mark J. Seitz, Fr. Ben Flores, Fr. John Telles, Fr. Anthony C. Celino, JCL, Fr. Rafael Garcia, S. J., Susan Martinez, Pat Ruedas, Greg Watters and Sergio Ornelas of the Diocese of El Paso. Their prayers helped her make a peaceful transition from death to Life.

Frank wishes to recognize and thank their good friends Nancy and Travis Davis, Patty and Tom Pagel, Suzanne and Steve Stratton, Margot and Sal Levatino and Mary Hart Humble and Carlos Cardenas of Austin, and Carolyn and David Gough of El Paso, for their expressions of friendship and wonderful gifts of food during the time he was not able to leave home.

Frank also thanks their long-standing German friends (40+years) Hilli and Carola von der Felsen, Bernhard and Gerda Mueller and Bolko and Jutta Hoffman for their expressions of concern and comfort for Barbara.

Barbara was a true friend to those who knew her well and a vibrant and loving wife. She will be sorely missed by Frank, the Ainsa family in El Paso, the von Buxhoeveden family in Tennessee and Florida, and her many friends.

A funeral service will be scheduled at Cook-Waldon Funeral Home, 6100 N. Lamar, Austin, Texas 78752 for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso (Frank and Barbara Ainsa Endowment for Priests’ Retirement) or MD Anderson Cancer Center (Dr. John V. Heymach Cancer Research) or your favorite charity.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Ainsa family.