Barbara was born on June 23, 1933 to Melvin Arthur Tupper and Eva May Tupper (Van Horn) in Yakima, Washington. The Tuppers were a Yakima pioneer family. Barbara’s grandfather, Charles Marion Tupper, moved freight by wagon train between The Dalles, Oregon, and Ellensburg, Washington; worked as a carpenter and contractor; and spoke three Indian dialects. Her great-grandparents came to the Oregon Territory in the mid-1800s via the Oregon Trail.
She spent her early years in Yakima, growing up on 24th Ave and graduating from Davis High School in 1951.
Barbara attended Central Washington College (now University) where she met and married William (Bill) L. Stevens of Kennewick in 1954. Bill entered the United States Air Force in 1956, he and Barbara then proceeded to relocate 12 times over the next 23 years in service to their country, including stints in often remote locations in Texas, California, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Colorado, and Illinois. Barbara remained courageous, steadfast, and supportive as Bill served in a variety of combat aircraft and was stationed at Da Nang for a year during the Vietnam War. When Bill retired from the Air Force the couple spent a dozen years in Seattle before finally settling in Yakima in 1992, where Barbara designed, oversaw the construction, and decorated their new home from the ground up.
Along the way they had a son, William Jr., born in 1956, who also proudly served in the Air Force.
Barbara was an incredibly warm and caring person with a fabulous and sometimes wicked sense of humor, who touched everyone she met in a positive way. She was a wonderful wife and mother, setting a fine example for her son and holding him to the highest standards. She loved and cared for her family very much and would do anything for them.
Barbara was the kind of person you would want in your life, a loyal friend, a superb hostess, a great cook, a fabulous designer and decorator, honest to a fault, unpretentious, and kind. She absolutely loved her three Brittany Spaniels (and they loved her), and maintained a pond of koi fish in the back yard.
Barbara was an avid sports fan who closely followed her beloved Seattle sports franchises. She knew the strengths and weaknesses of almost every team and player and could chat endlessly about why the Seahawks or Mariners won or lost their most recent game.
After retiring and returning to Yakima with her husband Bill in 1992, Barbara found many ways to assist and help others. She was a volunteer for many years at the Yakima Valley Museum, arranging to bring new and unusual artifacts into the Museum for display. She worked tirelessly at the historic Gilbert House on Yakima Ave, setting up tours and answering visitor questions. To assist the Yakima veteran military community, she worked with a group of volunteers to travel to Ft. Lewis in Tacoma, on a regular basis, pick up medical supplies, and return to Yakima and distribute the supplies to those veterans in need. For 20 years, with her husband Bill, she was a volunteer with the Yakima County AARP Foundation Tax-Aide organization providing free tax-filing help to those who need it most. For many years, the Yakima County Tax-Aide group processed more tax returns than any other volunteer tax organization in the state of Washington.
There are so many things that will remind us of Barbara. When we get those reminders we will smile and think about the experiences we were fortunate enough to share.
Barbara is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, William L. Stevens, USAF (Ret.) of Yakima, her son William L. Stevens, Jr. (Celine), USAF (Ret.) of Maui, Hawaii, three grandchildren, Michael, Katherine (currently at Gonzaga University), and Megan Stevens of Maui, her brother Merlin’s four adult children -- Deborah Bryant (Light), Yuma, Arizona; Daniel Tupper (Patty), Seattle, Washington; Mary Busch (Rob), Portland, Oregon; Sonya Parsons (Matt) Scottsdale, Arizona, and her sister-law Marleen Hazen of Kennewick.
The Stevens Ohana would like to especially thank Barbara’s wonderful friends and caregivers, Kay, Ciara, and Alejandra, for Jaime and his family for always being there, the Compass Care Hospice team, Sarah E and Jacqueline, and the Thursday night happy-hour gang.
Visitation will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home on Monday, October 28, 2019 from 2:00 until 6:00 p.m. A private graveside service will be held at Tahoma Cemetery.
Fond memories and expression of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com.
