Barbara Milliff

1924 - 2015

Barbara (Bobbie) Milliff
May 27, 1924 - March 16, 2015
Resident of Davis
Barbara Milliff, the initial director of the We Care Center in Concord, died in her home in Davis, CA on Monday, 16 March 2015.
Barbara Jeanne Knapp, known as Bobbie to her family, was born 27 May 1924 to Ann and Ralph Knapp in Oakland, CA. She attended the Holy Names High School in Oakland and enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley in 1938. She pledged the Kappa Delta sorority. After a broad-sweeping search for her professional passion, Bobbie settled on Occupational Therapy and transferred to the University of Southern California where she obtained her BA.
Barbara met Jim Milliff in 1953. They married in 1954 and settled in Concord,CA. Barbara and Jim raised four children: Ralph Milliff (Jane) of Boulder, CO; Patricia Geraghty (Jim) of Orinda, CA; Mary Michele Milliff (deceased); and Sharon Damisch (Rich) of Palatine, IL. The family tree includes seven grandchildren: Brian and Brendan Geraghty; Conor Milliff (deceased), Brigit (Bridie) Damisch, Aidan and Mary Caitlin Milliff and Timothy Damisch.
After starting her family, Barbara returned to her professional calling in a profound and lasting way. She was the initial director of the We Care Center for the treatment of children with multiple special needs in the 1960s. Barbara drew upon an unprecedented level of community support and We Care built its unique facility in Concord. In her capacity as We Care Director, Barbara advocated for special needs children and their families in Contra Costa County and she advised state and federal legislators on special needs issues. Barbara was a pioneer in recognizing the family impacts of special needs kids and she expanded the We Care program to address these needs. Her creativity and compassion were recognized and appreciated by her professional colleagues, by We Care families, and by the larger community of charitable organizations in Contra Costa County. She was recognized by President George H.W. Bush as one of the "thousand points of light" contributors to American society. Barbara Milliff retired from We Care in December 1989.
Barbara and Jim Milliff were devout Catholics. They were members of first Queen of All Saints. Then, due to the era of rapid growth, they were members of each new parish in Concord without ever moving house. Barbara served on the board of Catholic Charities of the East Bay from 1992 to 1996.
Barbara and Jim retired to the University Retirement Community at Davis in 2000 where a new group of friends was established. Barbara found time to rejuvenate her interests and skills in water color; exhibiting at URCAD and in Davis, and producing several works that hang in family homes around the country.
Barbara Milliff was the last of her generation in a large and close-knit family. She is preceded in death by: her beloved husband James C. Milliff; her elder siblings and their spouses Bernadette and Louis Ciapponi, Eleanor (Dotsie) and Lyle Reynolds and Ralph and Lavonne (Vonnie) Knapp; her daughter Mary Michele Milliff, her niece Margaret (Maggie) Altieri; and by her grandson Conor Michael Milliff. She is survived by 11 nieces and nephews and their families.
A funeral mass in celebration of Barbara's life will be held at St. Francis of Assisi church in Concord, CA on 28 March at 2:00PM. The family suggests the We Care Services for Children (www.wecarechildren.org) and Catholic Charities of the East Bay (www.cceb.org) as appropriate organizations for memorial contributions.