Cover photo for Barbara Jane (Kelsberg) Kirkpatrick's Obituary
Barbara Jane (Kelsberg) Kirkpatrick Profile Photo
1926 Barbara 2020

Barbara Jane (Kelsberg) Kirkpatrick

February 19, 1926 — December 11, 2020

Barbara Jane Kirkpatrick (nee Kelsberg) of Weston and Wellesley, MA died on December 11, 2020. She was born in Vancouver B.C. Canada in 1926, the daughter of S. Alex and Phyllis Kelsberg. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1947, majoring in Bacteriology and Chemistry. She was employed as a Bacteriologist for two years at the B.C. Government labs. During the war years she spent the summer as "Rosie the Riveter", riveting mainframes for the B-17 airplane. She and her family lived in Toledo, OH, then Rochester, NY, and finally settled in Boston, where she worked as a Research Assistant at B.U. Medical Center. Her husband Ted's love of flying led her to complete her pilot's license. They also shared many years of travel around the world. She received her RN in later years. They both retired in 1990 and spent many happy weekends in Maine. She supported many volunteer activities in Weston and Wellesley, including the Linus Knitting Group, the Community League Clothing Group and the Tree Advisory Group.

She was the devoted wife of Dr. Edward Thomson Kirkpatrick, President of Wentworth Institute of Technology who died in 2007. She was the loving mother of Allan Kirkpatrick and wife Susan of Fort Collins, CO, Karen Kirkpatrick and husband Stephen Wyman of Acton, MA, Ann Tucker of Ithaca, NY, and Keith Kirkpatrick and wife Corky Binggeli of Arlington, MA. She treasured her grandchildren, Rob Kirkpatrick and wife Kristin, Anne Kirkpatrick Norrdin and husband Matt, David Tucker and wife Amelia, Nick Tucker, Kelly Tucker, Pauline and husband Justin Alperin, and David van Goozen. She was the cherished great grandmother of Thomson, Theo, Charlotte, Maeve, Michael and Evelyn. She is also survived by her brother Bill Kelsberg of Vancouver and sisters-in-law, Mary Turland of Vancouver, and Sybil Grissom of Portland, Oregon.

Barbara's ashes will be interred in the Memorial Garden at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Weston, MA.

Contributions in her memory can be made to the Barbara and Edward Kirkpatrick Scholarship Fund at Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5998 or a charity of your choice

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