Barbara C. Chamberlain

Barbara C. Chamberlain, 93, died September 1, 2015 in hospice care at McCarthy Care Center, Sandwich, Massachusetts. Miss Chamberlain, as she wished to be called, retired to Brewster in 1987 with her beloved older sister Helen C. Josefsburg, a retired teacher. Ms. Chamberlain enjoyed a long and successful career with the United States Departments of State and Defense. She was posted overseas: Pretoria, South Africa (1946-7), Athens, Greece (1948), London, UK (1948-53), Paris, France (1954-56), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (1957-61), and London (1962-69). She was then posted to Washington, D.C. until she retired in 1986.

Ms. Chamberlain was a lifelong advocate for women’s education and women’s rights. She received a B.A. in history from William and Mary College in 1944, intending to take a position with the State Department. However, at that time the State Department did not hire women for positions above the grade of secretary, so Ms. Chamberlain went back to school at Katherine Gibbs, obtained a secretarial degree, reapplied and joined the foreign service of the Department of State in 1945, advancing to the position of intelligence research analyst in the Latin America and Caribbean Section. She has willed her estate to Barnard College to further women’s education and women’s rights.

Ms. Chamberlain leaves a cousin, Charles E. Selinske of Ryebrook, New York and many devoted care givers, especially Suzanne Faith, RN and Patricia Schlehuber, NA. Contributions in memory of Barbara may be made to Alzheimers Services Of Cape Cod & The Islands Inc. Services will be private.

For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com