Barbara Louise Raney

Barbara’s parents and two brothers emigrated to the U.S. from Cornwall, England around 1920, making her the first and only member of her family born in America. After graduating from high school, Barbara attended community college in Auburn, CA for one year.

While filling in as pianist for a Methodist church in nearby Nevada City, CA, Barbara met Donald Raney, a new high school teacher in town, and in due time the two were engaged to be married. But not until her soon-to-be husband had proposed three times. “I just couldn’t believe Don really wanted to marry me,” she said. “But on the third try, he said that he wasn’t going to ask me anymore, so I said yes!”

Just 19 years old, Barbara traveled solo by train from Grass Valley to New York City in 1942, where Don was teaching at the U.S. Navy’s Midshipmen School. After a civil service marriage in the Bronx and two-and-a-half years in NYC—and a new baby daughter—Barbara returned to California, eventually settling in Redwood City (Bay Area) with Don and their (by then) three children.

While she cared for the children and Don taught chemistry and physical sciences at San Mateo and Canada Community Colleges, the Raney family joined Grace Bible Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Redwood City. Barbara’s faith deepened and broadened. Her walk with Jesus Christ became the most important thing in her life, and she will be remembered for consistently trusting Him and living as His disciple.

When her two oldest children entered college, Barbara worked in the Recorder’s Office at Stanford University for four years, a job she loved and which supplied many interesting and often humorous anecdotes she shared frequently with family and friends.

With retirement in 1975, Barbara and Don moved to Santa Ynez, CA. They volunteered in the library and chemistry lab at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA for two years. Then the couple fulfilled a long-time goal by volunteering with Wycliffe Bible translators, moving to Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea in 1977.

Upon their return in 1979, Barbara and Don settled in Ventura, CA. For several years they continued their volunteer commitment at Westmont and were active in church and making friends in their neighborhood. Her beloved Don passed away in October, 2013, concluding a faithful marriage that lasted 71 years. Barbara continued to love him deeply; even with him gone, she was still his loving wife.

Barbara served throughout her adult life in church as deaconess, teacher, friend and mentor. For years she participated in Bible Study Fellowship. Her love of music and reading passed seamlessly to her children. She dearly loved her family, friends, fellow believers, and those with whom she shared her life of faith.

Preceded in death by Don and her daughter Linda, Barbara is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (and Norm) Kramer, and her son, David (and Pamela) Raney, as well as five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, all of whom experienced her love, humor and faith as a gift from God.