Barbara Lynne Whitwam

Barbara Lynne Whitwam, of St. Joseph, passed away at her home on Saturday, April 26, 2014 with her husband, three children and their spouses, her ten grandchildren as well as her sister and sister-in-law providing loving support to her and to each other.  Barbara was devoted to and adored her family, just as they loved and adored her.  She fought a courageous seven year battle with ovarian cancer.  During that time, she never let her illness define or limit her life, which was daily lived to the fullest and always with an indomitably positive spirit.  Barbara was born on October 31, 1942 in Madison, Wisconsin, the youngest daughter of Thomas and Violet Peterson.  She married her high school sweetheart, David Whitwam, on April 13, 1963 and they shared a glorious and blessed 51 years together.  She will be loved and cherished forever by her husband and all of her family and by the hundreds of people throughout our communities whose lives were touched by her faith, her kindness and her compassion for others.  Barbara was a founding board member of the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen.  For over 30 years, rarely did a day pass that she wasn’t at the Soup Kitchen or working with other organizations like the Emergency Shelter or the Safe Shelter.  As an advocate for the poor and disadvantaged, she was a person who gave selflessly of herself to people who could never return the favor.  In 1987, Barbara received the Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award for outstanding service to the community.  In 1997, she was recognized by the Berrien County Bar Association as the recipient of their Liberty Bell Award for community service.  In presenting the award, Judge David Peterson said, “This is a person who has spent a lifetime caring for the needs of the disadvantaged.”  Praise and recognition were never comfortable for Barbara.  Her delight over the many years came from making life’s burdens lighter for those less fortunate.  As an advocate for so many in our community, she worked with and across many agencies and organizations to find solutions and assistance for those that she served.  Barbara was preceded in death by her parents.  She is survived by her husband, David, by her sons Mark (Mary) Whitwam, Thomas (Kristin) Whitwam, by her daughter Laura (Mark) Ridgeway, and by her ten grandchildren:  Tyler, Abby, Megan, Nickolas, Madelynne, Jacob, Matthew, Katherine, Sarah, and Grace; by her sister Nancy Mueller and by her sister-in-laws Dianne Bullis and Sharon Whitwam.  In a note to his Grandmother days before she passed, her grandson Tyler wrote, “You are truly an example to all of us of what a person should be like.  Your love, compassion and strength have all made my world a better place because you were in it.  I love you with all my heart.”  With these words, Tyler speaks for all of her family as well as so many others whose lives have been touched by Barbara.  A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, May 2, 2014 at Christ Lutheran Church, 4333 Cleveland Avenue, Stevensville, Michigan with Rev. Dr. Philip Quardokus officiating.  Internment will take place immediately following the service at Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph, Michigan.  Friends may visit with the family from 4:30 PM until 7:30 PM on Thursday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel and Cremation Services, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph.  Those wishing to share a memory of Barbara online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.  The family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Mayo Clinic and designated to the Barbara Whitwam Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  The family established this fund to further the science of the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.  Gifts can be mailed directly to the Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN  55905.