Barbara Lee Hughes Herzog

Barbara Lee Hughes Herzog, a resident of the Eastside for more than 50 years, passed away in her sleep on Monday, Oct. 31. She was 88 years old.

Barbara was born in 1934 in Lewiston, Idaho, the only child of Jack W. Hughes and Maevis Featherstone Hughes. For most of her childhood she lived in western Idaho and eastern Washington. She graduated from Richland High School in Richland, WA in 1952. She attended Whitworth College in Spokane, graduating in 1956 with a BA in education. She taught for several years in various schools in the Seattle area, working her way down from high school to elementary school. (She would eventually discover that pre-school was where she belonged.)

While teaching in West Seattle, she met and married Keith Herzog, who was a life-long friend of one of her teaching colleagues. Keith’s job as an aerospace engineer took them and their four children to various cities over the years: Slidell, LA; West Seattle; Littleton, CO; and Redmond, WA where they settled long-term. Wherever they went, they were very involved in a local church, with Barbara becoming a key member of the church choir, often playing piano for church, and helping with a variety of other ministries.

Barbara was always active as a volunteer in her kids’ schools and in the community. She was a room mother for one of the kids every year in addition to serving at various times as a school library volunteer, Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout den mother and Sunday School teacher. She never missed one of her kids’ band, orchestra or choir concerts, school plays, soccer or basketball games, competitions or speeches. She baked for every bake sale, chaperoned every school trip, and supported her kids in every activity they took on.

In 1974, when they returned to Redmond, WA, the family settled in at Rose Hill Presbyterian Church, where Barbara became a cornerstone of the music ministry as both a choir member and one of the earliest members of the church’s bell choir. She participated in both choirs well into her ‘80s and served as the director of the beginning bell choir for years. Barbara also founded Rose Hill’s Christian Pre-School in 1979, where she served as director and lead teacher for many years. She found great joy in working with these little ones and continued to recall sweet memories of her students right up to the end of her life.

After her children grew up and started families, Barb’s life focused on her grandchildren. She loved nothing more than having the grandchildren over to play together, bake cookies, or go to one of the many parks in town, each of which had a special nickname. She and Keith also enjoyed traveling in their retirement years, visiting such far-flung places as Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Greece, Italy, the Holy Land, Hawaii and Alaska.

In the end, her physical body gave out, but her heart never did. She will be remembered as an outgoing, cheerful woman who never met a small child who didn’t become an instant friend. Barbara was preceded in death by her stepdaughter Cheryl, her grandson Timothy, her husband Keith, and many dear friends. She is survived by her children Jeff and his wife Lucy (Campbell) Herzog of Kirkland, WA; Susan and her husband Andrew Wade of Hood River, OR; and Rick and his wife Stephanie (Ruark) Herzog of Woodinville, WA; eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 18th at 10:00 a.m. at Rose Hill Church in Kirkland, WA. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, Barb requested that donations be made to Rose Hill Church to support their many ministries.

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