Barbara Ruth Anabo

Anabo, Barbara Barbara Ruth Anabo, a longtime resident of Tustin, passed away on November 20, 2018. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on April 1, 1936 to G. Lewis and Ruby W. Baldwin, Barbara moved to California at the age of two. She graduated from Tustin High School in 1954 and the University of Redlands four years later. She married Julian Anabo in 1959, taught elementary school, and earned a lifetime teaching credential in 1964. After the birth of two daughters, Elizabeth and Stephanie, she moved to Iowa where her third daughter, Katherine, was born. Barbara returned to Tustin in 1977 and lived there until her death. Barbara loved her work and the opportunities it gave her to help others. She was the manager of volunteer services at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and at Garden Grove Hospital. Barbara's greatest satisfaction came from working in the breast cancer field, first at St. Joseph Hospital and later at the UC Irvine Chao Cancer Center. As a corporate wellness educator at St. Joseph Hospital, Barbara spoke with passion and eloquence to more than 6,000 community members about the importance of early breast cancer detection. As a tireless and resourceful patient navigator at UCI, she coordinated resources for uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients. Before her retirement from UCI, she was named the 2010 Michael Hudson Caregiver of the Year, and she received the C. Ronald Koons M.D. Humanitarian Award in 2011 for being an exemplary role model of humanism, empathy, and compassion to patients and staff. Barbara's creativity and artistic spirit were evident in her home and large garden. She crafted unique handmade books, quilted and wrote. She loved jazz and traveled to music festivals with her husband after retiring. Barbara was a beloved friend to many but was especially treasured by her best friend Kitty Miles with whom she dined at Rutabegorz in Tustin nearly every Friday night for over 20 years. Barbara is survived by her husband, Julian; daughters, Stephanie and Katherine; grandchildren, Ardan, Isabella and Renzo; brothers, Terence and Wallace; and six nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughter, Elizabeth. A service will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana. Donations celebrating Barbara may be sent to UCI Health in support of the Chao Cancer Center and the Department of Neurology's Parkinson's & Movement Disorders Program. Make checks payable to UCI Foundation with Barbara Anabo Memorial Gift on the memo line. Mail checks to UCI Health Advancement, Attn: Molly Cook, 333 City Boulevard West, Suite 605, Orange, CA 92868.

You may also make your gift online at http://connect.uci.edu/BarbaraAnabo.