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Barbara Diane Eso (nee Burton)

March 24, 2020

F1D1W7C5-20200406094557
March 24, 2020
1936-2020 ~ It is with great sadness that the family of Barbara Diane Eso announces her passing. Barbara died suddenly on March 24, 2020, in Vernon B.C., at the age of 83. She was much-loved and will be greatly missed.
Barb was born in Revelstoke, B.C. to Frank and Alice Burton. She graduated from Revelstoke High School in 1954. After graduation, she began teacher training at the Normal School in Victoria. At the age of 19, her first posting was as the only teacher, and principal, in a single room schoolhouse in Mission.
She returned to Revelstoke to continue her teaching career, and was soon introduced to the new teacher in town, Joseph Eso from Kelowna. After a brief courtship, they were married in Revelstoke on August 18, 1956. After the birth of their first son Barry, Barb stopped teaching and the couple moved to Richmond in 1958, and Barry was quickly joined by brothers James and Brian. The family made Richmond their home for 36 years, where Joe enjoyed much success working for the Richmond School Board.
Barb had many fond memories of growing up in small town Revelstoke, where her dad worked for the railroad and served in the Canadian Military during WW II. In Richmond, Barb and Joe enjoyed life to the fullest with their family and a large circle of very close friends. Barb loved spending time boating in the Gulf Islands during the summer, socializing with neighbours and friends, and in later years, hosting their grandchildren for extended periods of summer fun at the family home on Eckersley Road.
Though busy raising three boys, Barb still found time to take part in many volunteer activities and even became involved in local politics. She was a long-serving member of the Richmond Library Board and later became the Chair of the GVRD Library Board.
After Joe's retirement, the couple moved to Churchill Park in Langley, where they made many new friends, enjoyed almost every social activity at the clubhouse, and where Barb enjoyed reading books while soaking in the sun.
Joe and Barb moved to Vernon in 2018, to be closer to family. They moved into The Hamlets Senior Residence where Joe could be well-cared for during his battle with Alzheimer's. Barb quickly became well-known to everyone at the Hamlets and again made many new friends. She took a genuine interest in all of the staff and would share their stories with us. This included kitchen, house-keeping and maintenance staff, as well as administrators, care aides and nurses.
Mom had a passion for the English language; reading books and doing crossword puzzles, as well as watching British TV dramas, classic movies, and her beloved Jeopardy, where she could usually beat the contestants to the answers, even while doing a crossword puzzle at the same time! While at the Hamlets, she walked to the store six days a week to get the newspaper, and would read it in its entirety, but not before completing the puzzles. Her greatest passion however, was always conversation. Barb loved to tell and hear stories about people's lives, and if there was a lull in the discussion, she would quickly fill it with a question or tell a story that she may have told you many times before.
Barbara is predeceased by her parents Frank and Alice, and her sister Dorothy Janzing. She is survived by Joseph, her loving husband of 63 years, sons Barry (Heather), Jim (Tracy), and Brian (Kelly), grandchildren Robert, (Caley), David (Carling), Steven (Anita), Katy (Peter), Matthew, Ashley and Isobel. She is also survived by great grandchildren Luke, Thomas, Martin, Max and Abigail, who were collectively know as "The Greats" by Barb. She also leaves behind numerous nephews and nieces, as well as many close friends.
The family would like to thank all the staff at The Hamlets, especially the Assisted Living Care Aides who took such great care of Mom, and all the staff on the 3rd floor, who she referred to as Angels and who continue to look after Dad.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Barb's memory can be made to the Canadian Children's Literacy Foundation at: https://www.childrensliteracy.ca/
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Lots of Love mom.