Barbara Everham Van Hook

Mrs. Barbara Everham Van Hook passed away peacefully on February 23, 2007 at Wilshire At Lakewood nursing home. Born on May 8, 1914 to Jane and Arthur Everham, she grew up in The Plaza area of Kansas City, Missouri. Barbara married Joe Van Hook in 1938, and together they lived in Lake Lotawana, Missouri from 1940 until Joe passed away in November of 1980. In 1990 Barbara moved to John Knox Village in Lee's Summit and lived there for eleven years. She moved to Wilshire At Lakewood in 2001 where she lived out the rest of her days. Barbara received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Kansas. She did her graduate studies at University of Missouri-Kansas City and Kirksville Teachers College. She taught physics for the Lee's Summit R-7 School District for ten years. Barbie is a teacher. Her classroom is most often a swimming pool or a lake. Her passion for teaching carried over to the lake where she taught sailing, water skiing and swimming. Her pupils may be children, youth, adults, or Senior Citizens. They may be handicapped. She received her water safety instructor certification and started a volunteer swimming program in the late '40s, continuing into the '90s, almost sixty years. Barbie received a lifetime achievement award from the Red Cross. She designed and built a specialty pool just to teach swimming. She was so successful that she was invited to Mexico on several occasions to teach swimming instructors. She is the winner of the Eunice Shirley Award for distinguished volunteer service. She has taught more than 250 instructor courses in swimming, life-saving or water safety. She has certified over 2, 500 persons as participants in these programs. Many of the classes have been held in her own backyard pool. Mrs. Van Hook's training and experience as a public school teacher and her human concern and personal warmth have made her a friend and encourager of youth and an inspiration to handicapped swimmers. She was awarded the Certificate of Appreciation by the National Water Safety Congress for her outstanding volunteer contribution in the field of aquatics for 1979. Barbie Van Hook is an instructor, a professional in the field of water safety, a great VOLUNTEER! Barbara's other hobbies included water skiing, snow skiing, and scuba diving. Her passion for the hobbies she enjoyed allowed her to continue to snow ski and scuba dive well into her 80's. Barbara was preceded in death by her son, Pieter and husband Joe. Barbara is survived by her children - Paulla Jane Van Hook Martin (Dean Martin), and Arthur Van Hook (Thora Van Hook); nine grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. Funeral services will be held Monday, February 26, 2007 at Lee's Summit United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. There will be a family visitation from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday, at the church. Burial will be at Floral Hills East Memorial Gardens, Lee's Summit, Missouri. In lieu of flowers and in honor of Barbara's legacy, the family requests contributions be made to the Lake Lotawana Parks and Recreation Swimming Program, 19 B St., Lake Lotawana, MO, 64086. Arrangements by Newcomer's Stine & McClure Chapel.