Barbara Anne Best

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Mom, Grandmother, Wife, Sister and Friend, Sunday, October 25, 2026. Mom is predeceased by her sister Julie and brother Paul. She is survived by her loving husband Paul, her kids Jennifer, Sarah (Bill), Joel, Justin; and her grandchildren Alexandra, Marissa, Maïa, Grace, Fiona, Elliott, Venture and Bijou. She is also survived by her sisters, Lisina and Sharon, her nieces and nephews Martin (Donna), Paul David (Camila), Kim (Cris), Laura and Lisa, as well as cousins, Heather (Lou) and Joanie.

Barbara was born in Camp Shilo, Manitoba on October 11,1950. The child of an American department store clerk and a British Army officer, the family moved from Chicago Illinois to a rural Canadian army base where Barbara would be born shortly after. They would spend the next 15 years at Camp Shilo, before moving to Victoria BC.

Barbara dedicated her life to championing Social Justice causes, nourishing her family and lifting up her friends. She was an “out” Feminist by the 1970’s (not popular at the time) and cared deeply about reproductive freedom, equality in the workplace and environmental issues. Her careers included nursing in the 1970s, at the then named Eric Martin Institute of Psychiatry. In the 1980s she became employed at Springwood, working with, and advocating for, people with Developmental Disabilities. Mom eventually graduated from University of Victoria in 1992, where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Social Work (BSW) and worked as a Social Worker with the Province of British Columbia until her retirement.

One of Mom’s great journeys included her and sister Sharon’s quest to find their long lost brother, Paul, left behind in Chicago in 1950. The sisters would eventually find their brother still living in Chicago, and they all became fast friends. The triad would subsequently discover the existence of two more siblings, Lisina and Julie, living in New York City and Ipswich, England, respectively. The search for family brought Mom on adventures through Illinois, New York, Missouri, California and Washington State. Those connections took Mom even further to England where she found even more relatives. Mom’s dedication to establishing connections within the family, and her desire to be “the glue” that would hold it all together, was something she joyously worked hard to achieve and maintain. Safe to say that every sibling or relative was uniquely different from the next, and Mom loved all of them for whom they were, and still are today.

Mom was very loyal to her friends, which blurred lines between work, social and family life. She loved the arts, theatre, music, and gathering for special occasions. When not with friends and family in person, she would author letters and was a master of “the phone call”. On a Sunday morning, you could find Mom sitting at the head of the kitchen table with her Rolodex and the telephone, sipping coffee, making calls and checking in with the people that she cared about. Mom enjoyed a wonderfully rich life, full of cherished grandchildren, friends and neighbours. She lived in the James Bay neighbourhood for more than 45 years where she was a “rock” to several generations of kids who could always rely on her for good company. She will be missed by everyone who knew her, and to everyone who did not know her, you missed out. Our family would like to thank the staff at Glenwarren Lodge for the generous and compassionate care that Mom received there over the past two years.

A private Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Our Place Society, an organization which Mom had been a strong supporter of for many decades.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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