Adams ( nee Dobson),
Barbara Anne
April 1933
–
February 2021
We are sad to announce the passing of Barbara Anne Adams (nee Dobson) on Friday, February 12, 2021,
at Trilogy LTC in Scarborough. Barbara leaves us to join Keith, her beloved husband of 65 years, who left us at the end of October 2020. God rest them both – together again and at peace.
Barbara leaves behind her 2 daughters, Lori and Donna (David). She will be fondly remembered by her sister-in-law, Ruth (nee Hamilton), and her nieces and nephews: Mark (Ruth), David (Lucy), Glen (Barb),Megan, and Caren.
Barbara was a nurse of the old school, trained on the job at the School of Nursing at Sick Children’s Hospital, where she graduated in 1954. In 1955, she married her high school sweetheart, Keith Adams.
Their happiness was challenged by the loss of their first born, Peter, in delivery. But Lori and Donna came along quite quickly afterwards.
When Keith chose to pursue his calling as an Anglican priest, Barbara participated in that calling with a whole heart. Raised in a Baptist church, she chose to remove herself from their roll of active members and become confirmed in the Anglican church. During his time in seminary, she stretched the income Keith earned in 4 months over the full year, keeping 2 growing children, 2 adults and one large dog fed and clothed. (Note: at that time, as a nurse Mom would have earned less than the elevator operators! It made “cents†for her to stay home and care for us, rather than pay for childcare.)
Mom made wonderful meals using what used to be economic cuts of meat – ground beef became
savoury bacon logs, round steak with onion soup was tender and tasty, and she could stretch a
Christmas turkey to Easter, with soups and stews. She’s the one who started the Gingerbread Man
cookie tradition that Lori has been proud to carry on, and she helped Donna start a Christmas truffle
tradition of her own. We never wanted for anything.
She never lost her drive to stretch a dollar and make good things last. She received a pair of rabbit fur earmuffs as a nursing school graduation present in 1954. She wore them every winter thereafter.Sometime around 1990 or 2000, she replaced the lining of the ear covers. She last wore those earmuffs in February 2020. There was never any consideration of upgrading or buying new ones!
Barbara sewed clothes for all of us, including Dad’s suits (although that she was happy to give that up when a little money started to come in). Much later, Barbara used her sewing skills on costumes,including a Cowardly Lion with a lively tail for the high school production of the Wizard of Oz. And much later, she helped with costumes for the Stirling Theatre Company.
Mom shared her faith, her medical skills and her strength of will with the various parishes where Dad was assigned. In Bethany, with no town doctor, they called on mom after a car accident at the general store. When the Bethany Fire Department was on a call, Mom calmly responded to a chimney fire at the house across the street by filling up the garden sprayer and putting out the fire. When 2 women appeared at our door sporting a few guns in the middle of the night, during a thunderstorm – both Mom and Dad just took it all in stride. (They were bringing the guns for safe keeping.) No big deal.
Mom taught us to deal with whatever life throws at us – with grace and the barest minimum of whining
(and that whining better be quiet…).
When she was diagnosed with tic douloureux, she stubbornly hung in for a few years until they could offer surgery that cut the sensation without cutting muscular control. On the drive home after that surgery, sporting some pretty amazing facial bruises, she faced down the waitress at the restaurant where we stopped for dinner with no qualms, no vanity, and much laughter.
She made every house we lived in a home, and was the fiercest champion for her two daughters that we could ever have asked for. She broke a little when Dad died, and it was very hard to see that.
Visitation Details: At some point (hopefully the late summer, early fall) we’ll be holding a celebration of life for Mom & Dad. But until then, please feel free to share any stories you may have with us. You can send your
condolences care of the Accettone Funeral Home or to barbara2keith@gmail.com.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Adams nee Dobson
Barbara Anne April 1933
February 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Ajax, Province: Ontario
death notice Adams nee Dobson
Barbara Anne April 1933
February 2021
mortuary notice Adams nee Dobson
Barbara Anne April 1933
February 2021