Barbara Shelley Douglass

Barbara Shelley Douglass passed away July 3, 2016 at home in Carmel Valley with her husband at her side. Barbara was the wife of Terry Douglass with whom she shared over 54 years of marriage. She was born August 22, 1939 in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Robert A. MacDonald and Dorothy E. (Dubrow) MacDonald, and grew up in west Los Angeles (Westwood and Pacific Palisades) with her sister Ginny. Highlights of her childhood include the family’s two trips to Yosemite and the fun she had with her friends. Barbara graduated in 1957 from University High School and attended UCLA. At the age of nineteen she met the love of her life, Terry. They were married on September 8, 1961. Barbara’s professional career was wide ranging. She was an administrative assistant for many years at SDC (Systems Development Corp.) in Santa Monica. In 1975 she and Terry moved to San Diego, or in her words, “Paradise”! She worked as executive secretary at American Cinema, an independent film company. Barbara later was secretary of the Joan Kroc Foundation and then office manager at Stubb’s Realty in Solana Beach before she retired. At each and every position she developed a friendship with her employer that lasted her lifetime. Barbara loved travelling with Terry both here and abroad. Some of her favorite trips were to New York, Amsterdam, Greece, Istanbul and Venice. Plays, music, books and art museums were a big part of her life as were family gatherings with her sister Ginny for holidays, birthdays, and other joyful occasions. Barbara valued the many friends she had made in childhood and loved their reunions, large and small, that occurred over the years. And, she always looked forward to meeting with her local bridge buddies, admitting that it was really more for socializing and lunches than card playing. Barbara was quiet and self-contained with a delightful sense of humor and an inner strength that allowed her to battle her ailments with dignity. She had a cheerful nature and a smile that radiated kindness and warmth. Anyone who spent time with Barbara knew how genuinely interested she was in them. She was a class act. Barbara leaves her husband Terry, her sister Virginia Archer (Richard), niece Julie Mayo (Stephen), nephew Stephen Archer (Patricia), grandnephews Derek and Jason Mayo, and grandniece Rose Archer. Barbara was predeceased by her parents. She requested that she be cremated and her ashes scattered. Donations in lieu in flowers may be made to the American Breast Cancer Foundation. Please add your memories in the space provided on Barbara’s webpage at Sorrento Valley Chapel.