Beryl Barton Lord

Beryl Barton Lord, age 90, passed away, surrounded by her family, on Sunday January 8th, 2017. She is survived by her three daughters: Beth Hailey, Barbara MacLean (Robert), and Heather Lingbloom; along with her three grandchildren: Maya Romero, Olav Berg, and Andrew Lingbloom (Phyllis); and two great-grandchildren Kai and Sofia (Maya) and many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Beryl was born to an American father (Edmund Blake Barton) and an English mother (Winifred Gertrude Ostara) in Romiley, United Kingdom in 1926. She was the only child of Edmund and Winifred, although she had three much-loved half siblings (Robert, Bernard, and Barbara) from her fathers previous marriage. Although the majority of her life was spent living in the United States, throughout her life, Beryl loved all things English, and never failed to feel very wistful (and sing along) when she heard God Save the Queen. Beryl and her parents emigrated to San Diego, CA in the 1930s in order for her father to start a business with his brother, Frederick Don Barton. While living there, Mom formed an unbreakable bond with her first cousin, Nancy, who was like a sister for their entire lives. When the business failed, the family moved to Milton, Massachusetts, which was very close to the Barton family historical home of Worchester, MA. Beryl attended school in Milton and got involved in the school, neighborhood activities, babysitting, and later contributed to the war efforts of WWII by rolling bandages and plane spotting. This pattern of volunteering to support causes in which she believed became a life-long trend. Mom also developed a love of literature, poetry and classical music, and also had a deep appreciation for all types of music. She loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. After high school, Mom worked at a chocolate factory (where she refined her sweet-tooth) and MIT (where she was an enthusiastic member of the Glee Club). Marriage and motherhood took her to live in Texas, Morocco, Washington DC, and finally to Edmonds, WA where the family settled in 1960. Despite the demands of a home and three young children, Mom was always involved in work that she felt was important. She became an active member of the Unitarian Church in Edmonds, and through that group, worked for open housing in Snohomish County and for civil rights. Her love of theater and belief in the power of arts in our society led her to join in the local efforts to build a community theater, The Wade James Theater. Through both of those groups she made life-long friends with whom she and the family regularly socialized. Mom was married to two remarkable men, Loris Hailey and John Lord, and her friendships continued with both for the rest of their lives. When Beryl went to work, she worked as an Administrative Assistant in positions at the University of Washington, Edmonds Community College, and Everett Community College. Her favorite work was in the Counseling Centers at Edmonds and Everett where she became a GED Examiner, and also tutored students in preparation for the exam. This responsibility took her to the Washington State Prison at Monroe, where she helped/tutored prisoners in preparation for the GED. More than once, Mom was approached by someone whom she had helped years earlier, to thank her for her contribution to their suss. After mom retired, she was able to travel, and continued in her volunteerism, working for many years with PAWS and at daycare centers cuddling babies, which she dearly loved. She also spent as much time as possible with her family, regularly arranging family events and activities. As many people know, Mom loved and was interested in people. She had the unique quality of having respect for every individual that she met. She had an immense number of friends of all ages and backgrounds. My sisters and I always remarked that if someone wanted out of a friendship with our mom, they had to join the witness protection program! Mom will be remembered for her strong ideals and faith in the ability to change the world for the better, for her enthusiasm and love for her family and friends, and for her continued pluck and cheeness in the face of adversity. She was an amazing woman, and left an indelible mark on the many who knew and loved her. We will never stop missing and loving her. Our family wishes to thank the staff and residents of Aldercrest in Edmonds, who cared for, sang with, and loved mom for many years. Our family has created the Lord Family Endowment for Study Abroad to honor her and John B. Lord. Mom and Dad believed in the value of travel as an educational tool to promote understanding and tolerance between the different cultures and societies. They were strong believers in the value of diversity. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to PAWS at href=https://www.paws.org/support/donate/ https://www.paws.org/support/donate/ or The Lord Family Endowment for Study Abroad at href=https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source=OMAEND target=_blankhttps://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source= href=https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source=OMAEND target=_blankOMAEND color:blue/ Announcement: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to PAWS at href=https://www.paws.org/support/donate/ https://www.paws.org/support/donate/ or The Lord Family Endowment for Study Abroad at href=https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source=OMAEND target=_blankhttps://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source= href=https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift/?source_typ=3source=OMAEND target=_blankOMAEND color:blue/