Barbara Jean Spink

September 9, 1938 - July 15, 2011

Barbara passed away peacefully of heart failure with her husband and daughters at her side in her last hours.

Barbara was born in Martinez California. Her mother, Minerva Lucile Williams Westbrook died of appendicitis at Barbara’s birth. She was raised by her father, Milton Westbrook and his mother Matilda Westbrook until she was six years old when her father remarried to Beverly Johnson Westbrook.Her early years were spent at the then company town of the Avon Refinery in Martinez. Her fondest memories were of her one-room school. She always said this was a special place; and, that she and her school mates made trips to the local public schools to display their talents. Her new family moved to nearby Concord. She had a half-brother, Robert, deceased at 49, and a half-sister Nancy. She graduated from Mt Diablo High School, received an associate degree from Diablo Valley College with further studies at University of California, Berkeley. In high school she was chosen Miss Contra County and participated in the subsequent Miss California Pageant.

She met her husband to be, then LTJG, Frank Henry Spink, USNR CEC, on a blind date arranged by her closest girl friend. They were married in Piedmont, California on June 30, 1963. She then joined Frank at the University of Washington, Seattle where she helped him through his Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning by typing his thesis through many drafts. They moved to Fremont, California in 1963 and it was there that the first daughter, Christina Jean was born in 1967. After working as a planner in Fremont, Frank was Planning Director for nearby Pleasanton when he was recruited by ULI-the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC. Barbara took the move in stride and they settled in Annandale, Virginia in a house that, as an architect/planner Frank grew as the family grew. Suzan Josette was born in 1970.

A story often told but worth retelling is that when Frank asked for her hand in marriage she said yes but... The but was that she would marry for better or worse but not for skiing. She was good to word and encouraged Frank to enjoy his love of that sport to the fullest.

Barbara working career was varied, as an insurance claims manager, accountant for a landscape nursery, and as accountant and finance director for a group of optician’s associations. The family has been active in St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church and Barbara served as treasurer of the Women of Saint Barnabas until her death and on the Vestry.

Barbara is survived by her husband of 49 years, Frank, her daughters families, Christina & Keith Yehle, children Brooke and Heather, and, Suzan and Eric Yungner, children Annika and Grant and Beverly and Nancy Westbrook.

Her funeral and burial and the celebration of her life will take place at St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, 4801 Ravensworth Road, Annandale, Virginia on Saturday, August 13 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the St. Barnabas Church, Memorial Fund or to ACCA: Annandale Christian Community for Action, 7200 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003 (see: www.accacares.org.