Obituary of Lorraine Barnes

"This river flows from dark to light, and if, by chance, I pass from sight, think ye not my journey ends...only that the river bends." Lorraine J. Barnes passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 12, 2013 at the age of 93. She was born on February 21, 1919, in Missoula, Montana to a ranching family in the Bitterroot Valley. In Missoula, she attended a two-room schoolhouse reached on horseback. At age ten, her mother moved Lorraine and her five siblings to Spokane, Washington. After high school she attended Business College in the daytime and worked on the local newspaper at night. Marriage took her to Hawaii for 14 wonderful years except for a short break during WWII. Then, after living on both the east and west coasts, she eventually settled in Santa Barbara where she has lived for almost 50 years. In her earlier years she was an office administrator; later she worked for many years at Kernohan's Toys and Gifts. Lorraine was very social and loved dancing, bridge, and most especially Santa Barbara, her home, and her beautiful garden - which she tended tirelessly for most of her life. The family would like to thank her physician Dr. Lawrence Mietus, care manager Joe Wheatley, and the wonderful staff at Santa Barbara Convalescent Hospital for their years of dedicated care and concern. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Barnes and son-in-law Rich Castagna of San Rafael, CA; sisters Joyce Lamon of Spokane, WA and Helen Hannah of Sandpoint, ID, as well as many nieces and nephews. She will buried beside her mother in Spokane. In lieu of flowers, Lorraine asked that donations may be made to the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission or the Elings Park Foundation in Santa Barbara.