Barbara Ellen Hart

She was born August 22, 1925 in Portland, Oregon to Alfred Wheeler Hart (1888-1944) and Julia Bremerton DeWitt Hart (1894-1986). She was was preceded in death by her sisters, Julia DeWitt Hart Davis (1918-2002) and Mary Louise Hart (1920-1931.) She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Alan Davis of Madison, AL, Linda Davis of Vista, CA, Scott Davis of Marysville, WA and Catherine Fitzloff of San Mateo, CA.

Growing up, Barbara attended many schools in SW Washington, Los Angeles, and Portland, graduating from Annie Hall Seminary in Portland. After WWII, she attended Katherine Gibbs Business School in New York to learn secretarial skills. This led to many jobs in San Francisco and eventually Portland, where she enjoyed working for the city until her retirement.

She was briefly married to Warren Dobbin.

Barbara loved the beach, particularly the Pacific Northwest. As a child she spent summers at the enclave of the extended Hart family and friends at Cohassett Beach, WA. Later, she jointly owned a house near the beach at Neahkahnie, OR, where for decades she was a nexus for annual summer reunions of extended family and life-long friends.

She loved to travel, and went by train and steamship (later by air) to visit Europe, the Pacific, and the Far East, as well as exploring much of the US, Canada, and Mexico with longtime friends.

Barbara was intrepid and had a great sense of humor. She loved learning the history of shipwrecks and the lumber industry of the Northwest, as well as lighthouses throughout the US. She was a great fan of movies from the 30s and 40s. Barbara was fun to be around, fully enjoying and valuing the company of friends and family, and especially her dogs, who were her constant companion.

Following Barbara’s request, her family scattered her ashes at sea near her Neahkahnie beach home.

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