Barbara Katherine Brooks

1925 - 2024

Barbara Katherine Brooks

March 11, 1925 - January 29, 2024

Walnut Grove, California - Barbara Brooks, aka B.B., lived a long, mostly happy life. She loved nature, travel, and vintage movies. As a young child, she lived in Walnut Grove, California, on the Sacramento Delta, and although she lived in many places in between, she ended her days there too. No matter how hot it got, she counted on the Delta breeze to cool her at night. As a young woman, she traveled to Europe by ship and enchanted everyone she met. She adored Italy, France, and England and liked to tell stories of her travels and the people she met along the way.

Her favorite job was as a tour guide for the Rhode Island mansions. She loved those grand houses, their histories, and their landscaping. She started each workday with a cappuccino from her favorite Newport coffee shop and would sit under the majestic elm trees and contemplate life.

B.B. was a truly unique soul; some might say eccentric, but she lived life on her own terms and had few regrets. She walked five miles daily, and gave cookies to the dogs she encountered, and was a friend to any cat, dog, squirrel, or animal.

Barbara died peacefully in her sleep, in her house, with her dog and cat on the bed next to her--exactly the way she wanted to go.

She's preceded in death by her son, Frederick Schoenwald, her ex-husband, Peter Schoenwald, and all her sisters and one brother.

Barbara is survived by a daughter, Christine Schoenwald, three grandchildren, Grace Dougan, Conrad Schoenwald, George Schoenwald, and seven great-grandchildren.

Friends, family, and neighbors will celebrate this fiercely independent and strong woman on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at Cavignac Country Estate, 13530 Leary Rd., Walnut Grove, CA. Guests are encouraged to wear bright colors.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite animal charity.