Barbara Ross Rivera

BARBARA ROSS RIVERA November 22, 1925 - April 26, 2005 Barbara died peacefully in the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 26, 2005, after a brief illness. A descendant of the Starbucks of Nantucket Island, Barbara was born and raised in San Francisco, the daughter of Maude Frances Watters and William Henry Starbuck. She married Victor Manuel Rivera of Peuelas, Puerto Rico on December 23, 1944. In 1945, Victor and Barbara moved to Visalia where Victor served as rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Barbara tirelessly supported Victor's ministry while raising three daughters and working as a teacher and a social worker. In 1968, Victor was elected Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin and they moved to Fresno. Over the next 30 years Barbara was Victor's partner and helpmate as they traveled throughout the diocese. She also earned her Master of Divinity degree and became a writer and seminar leader on the subject of Church Growth. Victor and Barbara retired in 1998. Barbara entertained friends and family alike with elegance and sparkling wit. She was an intrepid traveler, a voracious reader and an accomplished vocalist. To her children and grandchildren she passed along many gifts, among them, a love of music and a sense of fun and adventure. Barbara is survived by her husband Victor; her daughters Nedi, Victoria and Maria; grandchildren Mary, Joshua, Nicole and Matthew; and her great-granddaughter Katherine. Friends and family are invited to attend a Memorial Service at St.Paul's Episcopal Church in Visalia on Saturday, April 30, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be held at the Episcopal Church Conference Center in Oakhurst, CA on Saturday, June 4, 2005. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: Camp San Joaquin Commission, c/o Corby Dale, 420 W. D Street, Lemoore, CA 93245 or to the endowment for Saint Margaret's Chair at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Road, Berkeley, CA 94709 or to the charity of your choice.