Barbara Castren

Barbara Castren, a longtime Ojai resident, passed away on Sunday, September 29, 2019, at the age of 92.

"Bobby," as she was known to all, is survived by three sons — Blaise of Fremont, Calif., and Chad and Hans of Kalispell, Mont. — and six grandchildren.

She was born on Feb. 27, 1927 in Kelly Lake, Minn., and graduated from Hibbing High School and later the University of Minnesota.

Bobby moved to Southern California in 1958 and worked as a social worker for the Ojai Unified School District for 28 years. She and her family spent more than 20 summers in Montana's Glacier National Park and many winter and spring vacations in Mexico. She carried that love of travel into her retirement years — visiting dozens of countries and all 50 states, primarily with her good friend, Ann Gartrell.

During her time in Ojai, she spent countless hours volunteering for various community organizations and events such as the Music Festival and Tennis Tournament.

For the past seven years she's been a resident at the Gables, where all the staff will dearly miss her. She will be inurned at the Nordhoff Cemetery in Ojai.