Barbara Cecilia Shoemaker

Barbara Shoemaker, age 73, passed away peacefully at The Cottage in the Meadow Hospice House in Yakima, WA, with her family by her side, on July 21, 2014. She was born March 17, 1941 in Bellingham, WA to Joseph and Rosalia (Strachila) Shoemaker. She was raised in the Clipper Valley, attended Acme grade school and graduated from Mt. Baker High School in 1959. She attended St. Joseph School of Nursing in Bellingham and spent the rest of her career working in surgery at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. In 1969-70 Barb spent a year in Tunisia aboard the USS Hope, a Hospital ship. She traveled to Malaysia in the 1980’s to assist with the Sultan of Malaysia’s eye surgery. Barb lived on Mercer Island most of her life. Barb's greatest passion in life was helping others, especially her family and she devoted all her extra time visiting and helping others. Due to illness Barb moved to Yakima to be near her sister Pat and spent the last two years living at Englewood Heights Assisted Living. She is survived by her sister Pat (Jim) L’Heureux, brother Richard Shoemaker, nieces Vicky (Jon) Komorowski, Kathy (Hans) Solie and Stacey (Darren) Jones, nephews Greg (Lori) Younkin and Kenneth Shoemaker, grandnieces Ashley, Brittney (Dan), Allison, Veronica, Morgan, great-grandniece Lexi, grandnephews Lyman, Ben, Joseph, Jon Christopher and Trevor. Memorials may be made to Virginia Mason Foundation Neurology Research, 1218 Terry Ave., P.O. Box 1930 M.S. D1-MT, Seattle, WA 98111-9866, (206) 583-6083. A Vigil Service will be held at Westford Funeral Home, 1301 Broadway St. in Bellingham at 7 PM on Wednesday, July 30. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 6210 Mt. Baker Hwy in Deming at 10 AM on Thursday, July 31st. Reception to follow. Committal following at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Clipper. You may share memories with the family at www.westfordfuneralhome.com .