Barbara McCallister

1916 - 2015

Barbara McCallister of Bryn Mawr Barbara Virginia Weymouth McCallister died on April 6, 2015 at a little after midnight following a stroke. She was 99 years old. Barbara spent most of her life as a beloved member of the Main Line community and had resided in the Beaumont at Bryn Mawr Retirement Community for close to twenty years. A Valentine’s Day baby, born February 14, 1916, she was the youngest of six children (and the only girl) and grew up fearlessly, taking any obstacle in life head on and competing fiercely in all challenges, whether walking on her hands to imitate her brothers or playing tennis and board games. Her tenacity continued throughout her entire life and at age 89, she made the cover of the local paper by going parasailing with a friend in Martha’s Vineyard. Barbara was an accomplished watercolor painter and gardener, loved to travel and shop, and her passion for her dogs -- and later in life, any dog -- was palpable. She also had an endless fascination for construction (and tearing down walls), and never ceased to amaze her loved ones by doing her own wiring, plumbing and carpentry whenever something needed to be done around the house. A ready conversationalist with a surprisingly earthy wit, she had a zest for life that didn’t dim even into her late nineties. Some of her favorite times in her later years were spent dining with friends and family at the Merion Golf Club, watching movies, and drinking her favorite iced tea. Barbara graduated from Agnes Irwin after taking a six month leave from The Shipley School at age 16 to travel Europe with her mother. She married Charles M. McCallister in 1947 and never remarried after his death in 1988. She is survived by three children (Lynne McCallister, Jane McCallister James and Scott McCallister), by five grandchildren (Alexis and David McCallister, Christopher and Katherine James and Eric Bennett) and one great granddaughter, Lilia Bennett. A private memorial service for family and friends will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2015. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Brandywine Conservancy in Chadds Ford, PA, www.brandywineconservancy.org. Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home Inc. www.chadwickmckinney.com