Christine W. Bara
3/17/1936-1/6/2026
Christine Wood Bara passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in Sacramento, CA due to complications from pneumonia. Chris was born on March 17, 1936 to Lois (Kellett) Wood and William Claude Wood in Greenville, SC. The family moved to Charlotte, NC where she graduated from Central High School (1954). Chris and her identical twin sister, Claudia, attended Gordon Keller School of Nursing in Tampa, FL, earning their RN degrees in 1957. She later fulfilled her lifelong dream of attaining a Bachelor of Science Degree (Health Science, Chapman College, 1984) in her 40s while working full-time as an Operating Room nurse.
While Chris spent her childhood and young adult years in the south, her marriage to Dr. David Smith in 1959 relocated them to sunny California where she remained for the rest of her years. Chris and Dave met at Tampa Municipal Hospital during his residency and while she was in nursing school. Chris told wonderful stories of the 2-week road trip across the country with her new husband as they journeyed to their new jobs and first home in Santa Barbara, California. Dave and Chris had two daughters: Karen (1959) and Toni (1961). After Dave's post-graduate residency in Santa Barbara, he opened a private family medicine practice in La Mirada, California until his unexpected death in 1964. Chris raised two daughters on her own in La Mirada, although her Florida family hoped she would return after Dave's death. But Chris and David had put down roots and built strong friendships in California, so she stayed. As a single mother with two young children, Chris supported her family as a nurse (in the Emergency Department and later in the Operating Room). Her strength and perseverance during this difficult time continues to be an inspiration to both her daughters.
Chris remarried Stanley Bara in 1970, and although they separated in 1979, they remained legally married until his death in 1986. Stan's job moved the family up to Moraga, CA in 1972 where Toni and Karen attended junior high and high school. Chris worked for Kaiser Health Foundation as an OR nurse in Walnut Creek, CA and then was one of the founding employees at the new Kaiser hospital in Martinez, CA.. Chris was a proud OR nurse and supervisor for over 30 years. Her fascination with medicine carried on throughout her life. After retirement she continued to subscribe to the Association of Operation Room Nurses (AORN) magazine and she never passed up a chance to talk about medical details with her various doctors and nurses. She devoted her life to caring for others.
Chris moved to Benicia in the early 1980s and became connected to the community through the Benicia Yacht Club. Through social events, weekly dinners and boat rides, Chris built strong and lifelong friendships with so many including her beloved partner Mike Matthews. They were together for 25 years before his death in 2021. Mike and Chris shared his lovely home overlooking the Carquinez Straits along with various kitty friends. In the spring of 2022, Chris moved to assisted living in Sacramento where Karen lives, and this also allowed frequent visits from her daughter, Toni, from Oregon.
International travel was a centerpoint of Chris' life and she visited many faraway places including China, Eastern Europe, England, Mexico and Turkey with Sue Williams, a fellow nurse, best friend and traveling partner. Toni and Karen celebrated Chris and twin sister Claudia's 80th Birthday all together on a European River Cruise in 2016.
Despite living 3000 miles apart, Chris and Claudia, along with their partners, visited each other several times a year, either in Florida or on various adventures throughout the US. Some of their favorite places were Lake Tahoe, Branson, MO, Sedona, AZ and Destin, FL.
Chris was always a servant and involved in the community: She served on the board of the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), the Grove Neighborhood Association where she owned a condo, and as Membership Chair for the Benicia Yacht Club where she was instrumental in gaining new members to keep the club strong.
Chris lived a vibrant life and had many interests. She is best known for creating thousands of bears for children. The purchase of the pattern from the Mother Bear Project (no longer in existence and which provided bears to children in Africa) started 25+ years of making bears. These bears were given to thousands of children: She donated them to the Benicia firefighters who would bring them to calls for young children, an orphanage in Nepal where she created a specific bear for each child, and several classrooms of students. Chris visited these classrooms, explained the process of making the bears and then each child got to choose their own to keep. The teachers reported many happy stories of their students with these bears, even months after we visited.. At the assisted living facility, several residents purchased bears for themselves or grandchildren. Karen and Toni have given bears to friends' children and grandchildren.
When Chris wasn't knitting, she'd be found with a book in hand. She was a member of the Island Readers Book Club in Benicia for over 20 years. At her assisted living facility, she frequently visited the well-stocked library and contributed many books when she moved there from Benicia.
Christine is survived by daughters, Karen Smith (Sacramento, CA), Toni Smith (Scappoose, OR), brother William and sister-in-law, Claudia Wood (Camden SC), brother- in-law, Cal Woodhouse (Seffner, FL), sister-in-law, Genny Smith (Dayville, CT) and several nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. Chris was preceded in death by parents Claude and Lois Wood, husband David W. Smith, husband Stanley F. Bara, partner Michael Mathews and twin sister, Claudia Woodhouse. We take solace in knowing that Christine and Claudia's souls are now reunited.
A Celebration of Life will be held in early spring. Details to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Diabetes Association or your favorite charity.
3/17/1936-1/6/2026
Christine Wood Bara passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in Sacramento, CA due to complications from pneumonia. Chris was born on March 17, 1936 to Lois (Kellett) Wood and William Claude Wood in Greenville, SC. The family moved to Charlotte, NC where she graduated from Central High School (1954). Chris and her identical twin sister, Claudia, attended Gordon Keller School of Nursing in Tampa, FL, earning their RN degrees in 1957. She later fulfilled her lifelong dream of attaining a Bachelor of Science Degree (Health Science, Chapman College, 1984) in her 40s while working full-time as an Operating Room nurse.
While Chris spent her childhood and young adult years in the south, her marriage to Dr. David Smith in 1959 relocated them to sunny California where she remained for the rest of her years. Chris and Dave met at Tampa Municipal Hospital during his residency and while she was in nursing school. Chris told wonderful stories of the 2-week road trip across the country with her new husband as they journeyed to their new jobs and first home in Santa Barbara, California. Dave and Chris had two daughters: Karen (1959) and Toni (1961). After Dave's post-graduate residency in Santa Barbara, he opened a private family medicine practice in La Mirada, California until his unexpected death in 1964. Chris raised two daughters on her own in La Mirada, although her Florida family hoped she would return after Dave's death. But Chris and David had put down roots and built strong friendships in California, so she stayed. As a single mother with two young children, Chris supported her family as a nurse (in the Emergency Department and later in the Operating Room). Her strength and perseverance during this difficult time continues to be an inspiration to both her daughters.
Chris remarried Stanley Bara in 1970, and although they separated in 1979, they remained legally married until his death in 1986. Stan's job moved the family up to Moraga, CA in 1972 where Toni and Karen attended junior high and high school. Chris worked for Kaiser Health Foundation as an OR nurse in Walnut Creek, CA and then was one of the founding employees at the new Kaiser hospital in Martinez, CA.. Chris was a proud OR nurse and supervisor for over 30 years. Her fascination with medicine carried on throughout her life. After retirement she continued to subscribe to the Association of Operation Room Nurses (AORN) magazine and she never passed up a chance to talk about medical details with her various doctors and nurses. She devoted her life to caring for others.
Chris moved to Benicia in the early 1980s and became connected to the community through the Benicia Yacht Club. Through social events, weekly dinners and boat rides, Chris built strong and lifelong friendships with so many including her beloved partner Mike Matthews. They were together for 25 years before his death in 2021. Mike and Chris shared his lovely home overlooking the Carquinez Straits along with various kitty friends. In the spring of 2022, Chris moved to assisted living in Sacramento where Karen lives, and this also allowed frequent visits from her daughter, Toni, from Oregon.
International travel was a centerpoint of Chris' life and she visited many faraway places including China, Eastern Europe, England, Mexico and Turkey with Sue Williams, a fellow nurse, best friend and traveling partner. Toni and Karen celebrated Chris and twin sister Claudia's 80th Birthday all together on a European River Cruise in 2016.
Despite living 3000 miles apart, Chris and Claudia, along with their partners, visited each other several times a year, either in Florida or on various adventures throughout the US. Some of their favorite places were Lake Tahoe, Branson, MO, Sedona, AZ and Destin, FL.
Chris was always a servant and involved in the community: She served on the board of the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN), the Grove Neighborhood Association where she owned a condo, and as Membership Chair for the Benicia Yacht Club where she was instrumental in gaining new members to keep the club strong.
Chris lived a vibrant life and had many interests. She is best known for creating thousands of bears for children. The purchase of the pattern from the Mother Bear Project (no longer in existence and which provided bears to children in Africa) started 25+ years of making bears. These bears were given to thousands of children: She donated them to the Benicia firefighters who would bring them to calls for young children, an orphanage in Nepal where she created a specific bear for each child, and several classrooms of students. Chris visited these classrooms, explained the process of making the bears and then each child got to choose their own to keep. The teachers reported many happy stories of their students with these bears, even months after we visited.. At the assisted living facility, several residents purchased bears for themselves or grandchildren. Karen and Toni have given bears to friends' children and grandchildren.
When Chris wasn't knitting, she'd be found with a book in hand. She was a member of the Island Readers Book Club in Benicia for over 20 years. At her assisted living facility, she frequently visited the well-stocked library and contributed many books when she moved there from Benicia.
Christine is survived by daughters, Karen Smith (Sacramento, CA), Toni Smith (Scappoose, OR), brother William and sister-in-law, Claudia Wood (Camden SC), brother- in-law, Cal Woodhouse (Seffner, FL), sister-in-law, Genny Smith (Dayville, CT) and several nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. Chris was preceded in death by parents Claude and Lois Wood, husband David W. Smith, husband Stanley F. Bara, partner Michael Mathews and twin sister, Claudia Woodhouse. We take solace in knowing that Christine and Claudia's souls are now reunited.
A Celebration of Life will be held in early spring. Details to follow.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Diabetes Association or your favorite charity.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Christine Wood Bara, please visit our flower store.
Christine Wood Bara's Guestbook
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