Barbara May Larson

Barbara was born to August Erdman and Dorothy M. (McIntyre) Erdman in Portland, Oregon on August 7th, 1944. Barb's most relished roles were being a wife, mother, grandma, auntie and great auntie. She also had an undeniable love for all animals. Growing up in Tigard, Oregon, Barbara graduated from Tigard High School in 1962 and attended Oregon State University. She married her high school sweetheart, Stu, in 1966. She worked at Frahler Electric and McGuire Bearing before starting a family. Barb then became a stay at home mom, who cherished raising daughters, Debbie and Krista. In 1972, they purchased their Rockaway property on the Oregon Coast. They built their family cabin that brought them much joy and reflected their love of family. Many weekends and summers were spent at “the cabin”. Barb was an incredibly dedicated mom and supported the girls by volunteering at their schools & being involved in the community. She was a passionate fan of the girls’ sporting events and activities through the years. She never missed a game (cheering on the sidelines for all of the grandkids sports as well!). When the girls were older, she enjoyed her work as a library assistant at Fowler Junior High School and later in retail, at Cardworks Gift Shop. Barb and Stu’s love of travel led them to worldwide destinations which included river cruises and bicycle treks. Some favorite locations were Australia, France & Italy. When grandkids were old enough, they were able to travel with Grandma and Papa to places including England, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Ireland. Family trips to Hawaii, the Cook Islands and Disneyland also created many great memories. She loved being a mom and grandma, passing along to her family, her love of pets, the beach, theater, baking, gardening, walking, bicycle riding, and traveling. When Barb and Stu moved to Sherwood in 2002, she met dear friends through her time at the local YMCA, which led to her beloved “bootcamp” crew and yoga. After surviving cancer in 2021, she was determined to remain active and she did. Recently, she added knitting to her many activities and loved her time spent with her talented knitting friends. Barb enjoyed creating gifts for family and friends. Barb will be deeply missed by all of her family and friends. She leaves behind her husband of 58 years, Stuart Larson and their pets (Maggie and Lizzie); daughters, Debbie Reid (Roger) and Krista Hepler (Jack); Grandchildren, Blake Hepler, Hannah (Reid) Tyler (CJ), Jayla Hepler and Josie Reid; Siblings, Marlene Garvey (Bob) and Rod Erdman (Sheila); brother-in-law Jay Larson (Meg) and sister-in-law Marta Veahman, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Dove Lewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital or the Oregon Humane Society. These were very special organizations to Barb. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Sherwood Center for the Arts (22689 SW Pine Street) on Saturday, September 7th at 2:30pm.

Barbara May Larson

August 7, 1944 - August 20, 2024