Barbara Edyth Park's Obituary
Barbara Park, age 97 passed away on October 4, 2017, in Plano, Texas. Born in Meriden, Connecticut to Samuel Granite and Rosa Oldin, Barbara grew up in Los Angeles, California.Barbara graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Art and Education. She was a fourth-grade teacher when World War II began. After the events at Pearl Harbor, her mother inspired her to join the U.S. Coast Guard where she served as Lieutenant Junior Grade from 1945 to 1946. She helped in the sale of war bonds and assisted in public relations efforts in Chicago.After the war, Barbara stayed in the Chicago area and studied theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. There, she met Glenn, her lifelong love of 62 years. She and Glenn, an engineer with Mobil Oil, were married on October 21st 1950. Soon after Barbara and Glenn moved to Venezuela. Barbara’s love of theater inspired her to start a thriving theater company on the oil camp. During this time her children Katherine and Glenn were born. After eleven years in Venezuela, the family moved to France for five years, Peru for two years and England for three years. After 21 years of living overseas, the family settled in Dallas, Texas. Barbara described her time in Dallas as the happiest years of her life.Barbara’s passion was painting and teaching art classes. While living in Paris Barbara studied and trained in the Impressionistic School. She was involved with the Cushing Studio in Dallas and The Artists’ Showplace in Richardson. Her paintings of landscapes, portraits of children and miniatures won numerous awards and her paintings hang in private and corporate collections in the U.S. and abroad. Barbara enjoyed gardening, cooking, traveling, entertaining family and friends and she delighted in spending time with Glenn when he participated in gliding competitions. Barbara will be remembered for living life to the fullest.In 2015, as a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Barbara was the first female Grand Marshall at the Dallas Veterans Day Parade.Barbara is loved, remembered and survived by a daughter, Katherine Park; son, Glenn Park; grandson, Griffin Park and sister, Marylou Meyer.A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held on Saturday, October 21st at 12:30 pm in the Wildwood Chapel at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.
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