Barbara Wiltshire Timmons

TIMMONS Barbara Wiltshire Timmons, 80, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2012 after a long and courageous battle with Multiple Myeloma. Barb was born on May 16, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio to Edwin and Margureite Mueller Wiltshire. She received a B.F.A. in Fine Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1954, completed graduate coursework in Art at Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, and St. Martin's School of Arts in London, and obtained a Masters in Education from Montclair State University. A life-long teacher and learner, Barb taught high school Art and English for over 30 years. She was an advocate for others; she helped to start a pre-school for underprivileged children in Florida, provided an art program for the Primary School Ninos Heros de Chapultepec in Guadalupe de Tambula, and was active in the Civil Rights Movement. Barb received many awards for both her artwork and her teaching, including President Ronald Reagan's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation Honor for Exemplary Teaching and Artistic Excellence, first place in the International Sculpture Competition advised by Henry Moore and Herbert Read, and the Ohio Wesleyan University Alumni Award. Barb was always up for an adventure and set the example of how to squeeze as much out of life as possible. She traveled extensively through Europe (two times on the back of a scooter), Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, Belize, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Japan. Her favorite place was Lake Dubourne Ontario, Canada. In the five years that she had cancer, Barb stood on glaciers in two different hemispheres, had dinner with a U.S. President, swam with dolphins, and attended countless dance performances, soccer and basketball games, choir and band concerts, and any other opportunity to cheer on her beloved granddaughters. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Frank; daughters, Poe (David Adler) Timmons and Jill (Patrick) Timmons Kennedy; sisters, Frances (Frank) Mahncke and Susan (Randy) Tiedman; brother, Harley (Linda) Wiltshire; granddaughters, Larkin Kittel, Jillian Adler, and Neve Adler; and many extended family members and friends. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at the Ross Art Museum in Delaware, Ohio from 1-3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barb's name to A Kid Again or the Richard M. Ross Art Museum Endowed Directorship Fund.