For the first time in her adult life, the ferocious Barbara Alice Sarson has done something that she cannot tell anyone how to do better. On September 28, 2020, in the early hours of the morning, holding her beloved eldest daughter’s hand, Barb died peacefully from pneumonia. She had spent her last years caring for her husband then battling against then living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Barb was born in Winnipeg on November 09, 1931. Her parents Mary Irene Bowen (McNair) and Stanley Evan Bowen raised Barbara and her brother Stan in downtown Winnipeg. When she was about six Barbara became ill and started living her summers with her parents in a tar-paper cabin at her Aunty Lal’s house on the Assiniboine River, near Sturgeon Creek, in St. James. This is the home Barbara would live in for over 50 years with her husband Ken and their eight children.
At a large house at the first bend in the creek Barb hung out with her beloved cousins Bill, Rosemary, Joselyn, June and Patty Lobb. She attended Bannatyne School and St James Collegiate. A shy girl, she loved school, didn’t study much, and, was an A-student.
When she was 16 her brother brought a friend, Kenneth Sarson, home for dinner. From the first time they met, they knew two things: Barbara was too young and they would marry. Barbara continued her education into the Commerce department at the University of Manitoba and in 1951 they were married. In 1952, after writing final exams while nine months pregnant, Barb and Ken welcomed their first child, Ken, into their world. Being the youngest in her extended family, Barb had never held a baby until her first child was born. A year later, Bob was born.
Moving to Brandon with her family, she worked toward completing her Bachelor of Arts degree as no commerce department existed at the University of Brandon. She had another child, Lahl. She birthed her fourth child Janet after the family’s return to Winnipeg. Then, she completed her degree. Inspired by her beloved cousin Rosemary, who was blind, and had graduated from the University of Winnipeg, Barbara decide to teach in the “Special Education” system of the Winnipeg School Division. And so began her inspired and creative career as a teacher and principal.
In the spring of 1964, while working full time as a teacher, Barbara and Ken adopted her brother’s four children – Barb, Gary, Irene and Patty. Overnight her family grew from six to ten. Already teaching, Barb continued going to school at night and during the summers while working full time. Always, she was a mother who also worked outside of her home.
Throughout her career she taught at Gordon Bell and Prince Charles where she also became the principal for the full lifetime of the school. Her final principalship was at Fort Rouge School.
Barb didn’t just teach or just administer. She believed that any student could participate in and contribute to community, could learn, with good teachers, the skills to a full and active life regardless of their challenges. She took her students camping every year she taught at Prince Charles, baked for staff and parent meetings in all her schools. She believed that neither a school nor a community could function without the other and did everything she knew possible to create opportunities for members of community to interact with her students. She helped re-build communities with this philosophy. Every Friday night for 35 years one of Barbara’s ex-students called her. She was a loved principal until retirement in 1995.
Barb loved lilacs, dogs, crocheting afghans, peanut butter and brown sugar sandwiches on fresh bread, bacon, hobnob cookies, old movies especially musicals, Shirley Temple, Jimmy Stewart, Mitch Miller, and Frank Sinatra singing with the Jimmy Dorsey Band. Sitting in a principals’ conference, when Barb noticed everyone was bored, she climbed up on a table and tap-danced. She read dictionaries, Harlequin Romances and anything she could find on the history of St. James. She completed a Master’s Degree in Education.
She was adamant in her values of what was right and what was wrong: vote; feed whoever is in need of a meal; do your part to make the world a better place; hold your head high; never give in or up or over; keep your nose to the grindstone and put one foot in front of the other; do what is just; never do anything but your best. She attended Pride and Take Back the Night Marches, fought against anything that she felt would jeopardize her students.
Mothering was not an easy journey for Barb, but she left her children and grandchildren with beliefs that would help keep us alive and connected to the world. She taught us to value community and to stand up with and for the “little guy”. She taught us to be tough and not to whine. She left us all with a love for the written word. She overcooked her roasts and was famous for her fruitcakes, shortbread, walnut slice, matrimonial cake, sharp tongue, intelligence and generosity. She always had something in her hands and something on her mind.
She is survived by 7 of her children; their partners (Davida, Annie, and Praba); her grandchildren Allistair, Claire, Elana, Evan, Franke, Jackie, Jenny, Katie, Ken, Leah, and Michael; her great- grandchildren; her good friends Pauline Morris, Kay Thompson and Mary Lobb; and her beloved sister-in-law Nora Lewinski. She is pre-deceased by her son Gary, her grandson Lloyd and her beloved husband of 62 years, Ken.
Dozens and dozens of the Sarson Clan and associates mourn her passing, honour her with our stories of her life. She will be almost impossible to forget.
The family would like to express our thanks to her care-worker and friend Colleen Molter, and the staff at West Park Manor, particularly those who work on Unit 1 South.
As per Barbara’s wishes, cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barb’s name to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba or Siloam Mission.
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