Barbara Crain Rollinson

Barbara Crain Rollinson of Washington, DC, founder of Metropolitan Nursery School in Wesley Heights, passed away on July 12, 2025. She was 88 years old. Barbara founded the nursery school at Metropolitan Memorial (now National United) Methodist Church in 1966, and served as the school's director and head teacher for 41 years before retiring in 2007.
A native Washingtonian, Barbara was the daughter of the late Dr. Darrell C. Crain Jr. and Louise Moore Crain. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson (now Jackson-Reed) High School in 1954 and earned a B.A. degree in elementary education from Duke University in 1958. She raised four daughters inside the Beltway and was blessed to enjoy eight grandchildren, all of whom were raised locally as well.
Barbara was an active parent volunteer at the National Cathedral School for Girls from 1970 to 1982. She served for many years on the vestry of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, where she was a member for nearly half a century. In 2007, Barbara joined the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at American University, where she served as committee chair and coordinator for myriad endeavors. Elected to the OLLI Board in 2012, Barbara subsequently served as Secretary and Vice Chair.
Barbara grew up watching the Senators play baseball at Griffith Stadium. When baseball returned to Washington in 2005, she became a passionate devotee of the Washington Nationals team. She was also an enthusiastic traveler, visiting 49 U.S. states and twenty foreign countries over the course of her long life. The glaciers of Alaska, the mountains of Colorado, and the shores of Crystal Lake, Michigan were her favorite destinations. Back home she was a skilled knitter, an American history buff, and a fan of musical theatre. But nothing in life gave her more joy than her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was dearly loved and will be dearly missed by all of them.
Barbara's survivors include her daughters Barbara L. Rollinson, Alice Makl, Marjorie Rollinson, and Amy Ruberl; grandchildren William and Elizabeth Crowdus, Laura and Paul Makl, Emma and Claire Oxford, and Laurie and Charles Ruberl; great-granddaughters Hermione and Hazel Makl; sister Anne Crain Fitzgerald and brother-in-law Dick Fitzgerald; sons-in-law Warren Crowdus, Daniel J. Frisch, Harry J. Oxford, and Larry Ruberl; granddaughter-in-law Kristan Makl and grandson-in-law Bradley Treece. Barbara was predeceased by her brother, Clayton Crain.
A memorial service is planned for September 6 at 2 p.m. at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 1830 Connecticut Avenue NW. In lieu of flowers, it was Barbara's wish that memorial donations be made to St. Margaret's Episcopal Church or the National Cathedral School for Girls.