1935 Barbara Anne Kenyon (94)

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1935 Barbara Anne Kenyon (94)

Obituary Contributed by the family

Barbara Anne Kenyon of Encinitas, California, died September 28,2012 at the age of 94. She was born February 28, 1918, daughter of Horace Simpson and Edith Moody Kenyon in San Francisco, CA. She was preceded in death by her brothers, James Loughry Kenyon and Philip Waynman Kenyon, and half-siblings Horace, Margaret, and Marie. She is survived by three nieces, four nephews, and eight grand-nieces/nephew. Barbara grew up in Pacific Grove, CA, and graduated from Pacific Grove High School in 1935. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1939, with majors in Political Science, Public Administration and Economics. She was a member of Beta Phi Alpha sorority, serving as its chapter president in her senior year. She completed an additional graduate year in 1940 earning her secondary education teaching credential. In 1940, Barbara took a U.S. Civil Service Commission exam, and was offered a position as Junior Professional Assistant in Washington D.C. She received a promotion in 1941. In 1943, she applied for a transfer back to California and was offered and took the position of personnel officer with the U.S. Public Housing Authority Regional Office in San Francisco. However, she was asked to consider a position with the Housing Office back in Washington DC, so returned there to work until the end of World War II. At the end of the war in 1945, she requested a transfer back to California and moved to San Francisco as an employment superintendent at the regional level. At this time, the largest public housing project in the country (25,000 housing units, directly managed by the federal government) was being built in San Diego. In January 1949, Barbara moved to San Diego to take the position of Personnel Director for Housing. She worked in this position until 1955, at which time she transferred to the Naval Air Station North Island with the U.S. Navy (a U.S. Civil Service position). She served as Director of Recruitment and Placement at North Island until 1956, by that time rising to the level of a GSI0 position. She became the Employment Examiner at North Island, and stayed there until 1967. She then transferred from North Island back to the mainland and the 11th District Navy Supply Depot as Employment Superintendent, becoming the highest paid civilian woman employed by the Navy. She resigned from this position in 1967. She worked short term for the Grossmont CA school district, and at the San Diego Public Schools headquarters. In 1968 she took a position as Counselor/Administrator for a Job Corps Extension program based at San Diego's YWCA, assisting disadvantaged teenagers from job centers all over the country. After the YWCA program was ended in 1971, Barbara volunteered for the County Hospital (now UC Hospital), organizing an outpatient clinic for children with serious diseases. She then worked part-time for Job Corps, this time through Women in Community Service, under contract to provide backup service to Job Corps Centers, but quit this position to take care of her mother during the last months of her life. Barbara then worked in retail at an antique shop until retiring from the paid workforce at age 62. Barbara was extremely active in professional and service organizations. These included:

• Women in Community Service

• Southland Business and Professional Women's (BPW) Club; president 1966

• La Jolla Toastmistress Club; many leadership positions, including president

• XYZ Club ("Extra Years of Zest" social group); serving as Program Chair and President

• San Diego's City Beautiful

She was a longtime member and supporter of the San Diego Zoo, KPBS public broadcasting station, and the Sierra Club. She described herself as a "political junky" and lifetime Democrat, and stayed informed about the local, state, and national political scenes throughout her life. She moved from San Diego to an assisted living community in Encinitas in 2006. She was cared for in her last yearsby her niece, Marjorie Kenyon-Cler of Ripon, WI and longtime friend Trudy Harsch of Encinitas