Barbara Galloway Smarling

Was Active In

Volunteer Activities

Barbara Smarling, 70, died on September 14, at the Vermont Respite House in Williston, Vt., after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson Disease.

She was devoted to her family and will be deeply missed by all of them, including her husband, Carl, of Shelburne, Vt.; three children, Kim Weber and her husband, Jack Weber, of Newtown, Meg Benowitz and her husband, Saul Benowitz, of Marblehead, Mass., and Pam Smarling and her husband, Ray Craigie, of Belmont, N.H., five grandchildren, Caitlin Weber, Lindsay Weber, Emily Weber, Mike Benowitz, and Kyle Benowitz; a sister, Linda Lindsey of Knob Noster, Mo.; a brother, David Galloway of Memphis, Tenn.; and six nieces and nephews; plus several cousins. Mrs Smarling also thought of her Rotary Exchange daughter, Cris Lopes of Brasilia, Brazil as a natural member of her family.

Mrs Smarling was born on May 10, 1935 in Long Beach, Calif., daughter of Paul and Ruth (Mason) Galloway. She graduated from Anaheim High School in 1953 where she was active in numerous clubs and was elected California State president of the Future Homemakers of America. She attended the University of California on both the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles campuses, working to put herself through school, stopping in 1958 to raise a family. She resumed her studies in 1972 and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1979 with a degree in History.

She moved often during her adult life, quickly becoming involved in each new community through volunteer activities reflecting her interests: Parent Teacher Organizations and Girl Scouting in New Canaan, the Urban Ministry Downtown Food Closet in Palo Alto, Calif., the Stephen Ministry in Boulder, Colo., and as an English language tutor and a visitor to American prisoners in jails in Germany.

Mrs Smarling loved life and enjoyed numerous hobbies including model trains, sewing, cooking, gardening, all the while opening her home to foreign exchange students, Fresh Air children, and student teachers on exchange programs.

A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, October 8, at the Charlotte Congregational Church in Charlotte, Vt., with a reception to follow in the Vestry Hall after the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations in Mrs Smarling’s memory be made to the Vermont Respite House, 99 Allen Brook Road, Williston VT 05495.

The Newtown Bee     September 23, 2005