Barbara Jean Harrower

On April 29, 2015, Barbara Jean Harrower passed away at the longtime Harrower residence on Mackey Road in Holly, Michigan, surrounded by her three children and Don, her loving husband of 63 years. Barb was born in 1927 in Detroit, MI to Bertha (Devol) and Omar Scott. She met Don at the neighborhood skating rink when she was just sixteen, and they both graduated from Cooley High School in Detroit. They would go on to college at Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan) and Barb would eventually attain a Bachelors Degree in Education and a Masters Degree in Library Sciences. Barb and Don had three children—Jo, Scott and Delores (Lori), and during the 1950s Barb was at home raising the children while Don was first teaching, then a Junior High Principal (at Mabel D. Bensett Junior High School) in Holly. In the summer of 1960 the family moved to Germany, where Don started teaching in the US Army school system. They would live there for the next five years, with Barb working in the Army libraries and Don moving to the Office of the Superintendent of the Army schools. Barb was always an adventurer, and loved planning each summer's vacation travels. The Harrowers traveled extensively throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and the Middle East and Holy Land. The five years abroad were a seminal and formative period for the family, filled with exciting and unforgettable experiences. Upon returning to Holly in 1965, Barb worked in the Holly Area Schools as a teacher and librarian. At Patterson Elementary School, she improved library accessibility for students and staff. Barb and Don loved skiing and were members of the National Ski patrol at Mt. Holly for many years. They were active in the Holly Human Rights Council from its inception in the later 1960's. She and Don spent their summers at the cottage they built on Lake Huron, near Goderich, Ontario, swimming, sailing and windsurfing. Barb and Don both retired from their teaching careers in 1984. They found a place in Florida and soon bought the catamaran sailboat, Straycat. They spent years wintering on their boat, exploring the Bahamas, the inland waterways of Florida, and the Florida Keys. Their children and grandchildren enjoyed many cruises on Straycat over the years. Barb and Don had many lifelong friends from their youth, life in Holly, time overseas, the beach in Canada, and from their experiences cruising on their sailboat. Barb enjoyed traveling to visit friends, family, children and grandchildren, and was always ready for an adventure, especially if it involved "roughing it" or trying something she'd never done before, or better yet, introducing someone else to a new experience, preferably in an exotic and exciting place. Barb had an enduring interest in geneology, and researched the family history for many years, visiting cemeteries in many states to photograph and take rubbings of the graves of relatives. She was able to trace an ancestor back to the Mayflower, and was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants as well as Daughters of the American Revolution. Another lifelong interest was the study of world religions, and she was quite an expert on the Bible and the historical Jesus. Although her opinions were strongly held, she knew and often said that the world would be a far less interesting place if everyone was the same. Barb is survived by Don, her husband of 63 years. Their loving marriage serves as a shining example of long-term commitment for all of us. She is also survived by her three children, Jo (Alan) Ingman of Fenton, Michigan, Scott (Sarah Seidman) Harrower of Middlesex, Vermont, and Lori (Bob Leahy) Harrower of Holly, Michigan; four grandchildren, Mariah (Thomas) Carlsen of Victoria, Canada, Corey (Kathryn Enright) Harrower, of London, England, Tara Ingman, of Istanbul, Turkey, and Devon (Jasmyn Lee) Ingman of Fenton, Michigan; three great grandchildren, Bella, Aliyah, and Lucia of Victoria, Canada; 2 nieces and 4 nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Keith Scott; her brother-in-law John Harrower; two nephews and two nieces. www.dryerfuneralhomeholly.com Donations in Barb’s honor may be made to: 50 Plus Active Adults program, Springfield Township, Parks and Recreation, 12000 Davisburg Rd., MI 48350 or to: Alzheimer’s Association, 25200 Telegraph Rd., Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033.

Barbara Jean Harrower

May 25, 1927 - April 29, 2015