Honoring Our Founder

Barbara Ann Barger

September 2, 1942  ❀  January 16, 2020

In 1981, Barbara Barger realized that the State of Washington had only one option for her daughter with developmental disabilities: an institution. Having founded Helping Hands for the Disabled in 1975 to support Beth and her fellow DD residents at the Interlake Nursing Center, Barb knew there were many other parents facing similarly unacceptable fates. She and Helping Hands set out on a mission to find a better solution, a home for adults with developmental disabilities. This organization, now named DAHLIA Living in Barb's honor, supports up to 26 adults in four homes in East King County. DAHLIA Living has helped dozens of DD individuals find their community and live life to their fullest ability. In addition to helping people with disabilities, Barb and her partner, Eva, cared for 16 foster children.

Barb was happiest when she was helping others. A perennial volunteer at Beth’s school, she served at the Northwest Center for 12 years, and then volunteered another 12 years at the Eastside Community Aid Thrift Store in Kirkland. 

When she wasn't helping others, she had many other activities to keep her busy. She was an avid gardener, with a spectacular yard full of flowers from spring through fall. She also loved to travel. When asked what place she liked best, she'd reply: "anywhere." Sports was another passion. Barb was an ardent fan of the Seattle Storm - an original season ticket holder. She also loved watching her great-nephew, Tyren, play football for Newport and Bellevue High Schools.

Born in Shinnston, WV in September 1942, Barb’s independent spirit found her on her first plane ride to Bremerton, WA with Pacific Northwest Bell, in 1962. Beth’s birth, in 1964, shaped her future and was a highlight of her life, as was her long-overdue marriage to Eva, in 2013. ​Above all else, Barb was tenacious about everything she set her mind to. From moving to the northwest, to embracing the challenges of raising a child with disabilities, to the myriad of health conditions that plagued her for many years, Barb met these challenges with strength, humor and grace. 

Barbara Ann Barger passed away - she would say "to bird heaven" - on January 16, 2020. She is preceded by her parents Fred and Bessie Shingleton, siblings Fred Jr. and Nedra, infant brother Charles, and her beloved daughter Beth Bowman. She is survived by partner Eva and constant-companion, foster son Joseph. ​​​