Page created by: Saundra Weissmueller

Barbara Mae Werner was born in San Francisco in 1938. She lived in multiple locations with her 3 siblings, whom she cared for, during her childhood. At age 3 she lived in Pearl Harbor and survived the Japanese bombing. Other primary places of residence included Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and Nebraska.

As a child, she contracted polio. When recuperated, she spent her teenage years in foster care where she was used to perform work without pay for the families she stayed with. During her adult life, using her undaunted tenacity and dedication, she turned her difficult childhood experiences into a cause she was passionate about and became an advocate for homeless children’s education where she started a tutorial program for kids under the auspices of the Santa Clara County office of education in CA. She recruited professionals from the community in Silicon Valley to teach homeless children after school. In his generosity, even Sam Liccardo (later to become mayor of San Jose), taught kids at Barb Werner’s program and contributed mightily with many suggestions. After 18 years, Mrs. Werner, contracted a slow-progressing form of Parkinson's disease, which forced her to turn the program over to her physician husband and later to others.

As part of her tireless voluntarism, she was inducted into President George Herbert Walker Bush’s “Americas thousand points of light” program. She was also given the “First Lady of California Volunteers Award” and was included in the “The National Wall of Tolerance” sponsored by Morris Dees and Rosa Parks. Barbara also has a San Jose street named after her (Barb Werner Lane).

She recently left us (August 29th) Despite receiving excellent care at good Samaritan Hospital and is survived by her loving husband Peter and three devoted daughters, Sylvia (Husband Marty), Saundra (Husband David) and Sonja. Her grandchildren are Gina (Husband MyCjel), Nicole, Greg, Christian, Sarah, Alysia, Aaron and she has eight great grandchildren.

Barbara was a passionate gardener and loved plants. She nurtured her four gardens at her home where she grew the most beautiful flowers and other greenery. She was also an artist and specialized in dry flower and pinecone arrangements which she sold at holiday fairs. Barbara’s amazing life, her childlike imagination, love for people and her startling sense of humor, caused her to be loved and remembered by all who knew her sparkle(especially by the hundreds of children in her programs). She had a remarkable ability to connect with children and bring magic to the most mundane of tasks. We all feel a great void.

Barbara is at the Darling and Fischer Chapel of the Hills at 615 N. Santa Cruz Ave. in Los Gatos and there will be a viewing and service on Sunday, September 15, 2019 from 10 AM to noon to be followed by an interment in the Harmony Mausoleum at 12:30 PM at Los Gatos Memorial Park Cemetery 2255 Los Gatos, CA.