Barbara F. Russo passed away in the late evening of March 13, 2023 in Comfort Care at Marshall Hospital after suffering an incapacitating stroke. She was born in London, England on the 25th of September, 1930 to Frances and Arthur Batchelor. She is preceded in death by her younger Brother Robert Batchelor, and is survived by her loving husband Frank P. Russo II of 55 years, four step children, eleven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
When Barbara was a young girl the German Nazis bombed her family’s home fatally wounding her mother, while her father was a Sergeant Major in the British Army fighting in WWII, he was captured and held for 4 1/2 years in a Japanese Internment Camp. Barbara’s father was instrumental in the construction of the Bridge on the River Kwai and also survived the Bataan Death March of 1942. Barbara attended a British Girls Boarding School where she practiced Ballet, she was a long distance swimmer practicing to swim the English Channel, and became a professional diver and swimmer in a water show, training and performing with Johnny Weissmuller. She earned a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from Cambridge University, as well as becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant. After graduating she traveled all over Europe and Morocco, then moved to Canada before moving to Santa Barbara, California, where she met the love of her life, they married in 1968, where they lived until moving to Placerville, California in 1978.
Barbara joined Placerville’s Shakespeare Club in 1991, was very active and committed within this organization, in fact she was just honored with the Lifetime Member Award last month after over 30 years of contributing and participating.
There will be a private Celebration of Life held.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5