Barbara Ann Williamson, born September 23, 1931 to John L. McShane and Mary Ann Fatcher passed away at her home on January 26, 2024. She passed peacefully in her sleep with her sons Stephen and Matthew in attendance.

Born in Philadelphia, the second of four sisters. In 1934, the family moved to the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx in New York City. She lived, schooled, and mastered ‘the Palmer Method of Business Writing’ and worked in New York City. In 1952 she married Alexander Reitz and they moved across the country to Phoenix, Arizona. There the family increased with four children. In 1961 her marriage to Alexander ended. Abandoned, she returned to banking and there began a successful new career. In 1962 she met Jack Williamson and in 1965 they were married. Jack happily assumed his new responsibility of helping to raise her children after rearing three sons of his own. The family soon moved to the city of San Jose, California where Barbara went to work as an operations officer at a local bank and Jack resumed his landscape supply business. After the youngest, Matthew, graduated from high school, the family moved to Whidbey Island. There they started a new landscape supply wholesale business and Barbara became the precast concrete finisher and CEO/CFO/HR of the B.A. Williamson Co.

Barbara provided accounting services for St. Hubert. She became an organizer of the annual Christmas Bazaar and creator of her many highly anticipated, and, umm, ‘bizarre’ handsewn items. Barbara also privately contributed to many benevolent societies and did help oversee many of the grants and donations to our local charities.

Barbara is survived by Jack’s three sons John, Dan and Steve Williamson and her own three surviving children Stephen Reitz, Michele Kaik and Matthew Reitz; Barbara is also survived by her sisters Patsy Priest of New City, NY and Teri Shepard of Knoxville, TN. On April 13, 2023 Barbara was preceded in death by her daughter Jeanne Reitz.

Barbara, a devout catholic, was a mother, a grandmother, and grea grand-mother many times over. Barbara was well loved and respected by all she encountered. Barbara was our rock and inspiration; she is missed.

A funeral Mass is to be held on Saturday, April 13 at 11 AM in St. Hubert Catholic Church, 804 Third Street, Langley. A reception provided by St Hubert will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make donations to St. Hubert Outreach program or the Make A Wish Foundation.