Barbara Elaine Bruce De Sherlia

Barbara Elaine Bruce De Sherlia of Tucson, Arizona, passed away peacefully of natural causes on April 22, 2023. She was born in Denver, Colorado on April 7, 1934 to the late George Carlton Bruce and Edith Irene Burgedorff Dabney, both of Colorado.

From attending a one room schoolhouse in a small Colorado mountain town, to living on the Presidio overlooking the ocean in San Francisco, Barbara enjoyed adventures everywhere she lived. At a young age, she saw beauty in the simplest pleasures in life- how the colors danced in a sunset, the unique wings of a butterfly, or freshly sprouting wildflowers. This eye for beauty spurred a lifelong passion for photography and gardening that would bring her joy into her final days.

She graduated from Westminster High School in Westminster, Colorado in 1952. Her strength, and at times, downright stubbornness, proved crucial throughout her life, helping her succeed in various occupations from driving a Suntran bus to being a reading teacher's assistant. She had no shortage of courage and perseverance! Barbara’s passion for photography led her to become a founding member of Club Camera in Tucson, and her interest in butterflies spurred her to help create a neighborhood butterfly garden. It was that care and love for nature that even extended towards rescuing cats in her later years. Most of all, she cherished time with her family and had a special love for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Barbara held steadfast to her faith as a Christian and her love for the Lord, which she shared with countless others as a Sunday School teacher at her beloved Northwest Baptist Church in Tucson.

She is survived by her daughters, Kim Daniel (Jim) of Hutto, TX, Pamela Wagner of Chandler, AZ and Tamera Graham of Tucson, AZ; grandchildren, Ben Daniel (Amy), Brian Wagner (Nicole), Amy Haley (Ben), Erica Graham (Kevin Moore), Amber Miller and Amanda Miller; and her eighteen great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Charlotte Badie; brother, Robert Proctor; great-granddaughter, Hope Daniel; and her former husbands, Warren Robert Montgomery and Keith L. De Sherlia.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Celebration of Life Service to be held at East Lawn Palms Mortuary in Tucson, AZ on May 25th at 12:30 PM.