Barbara B. Anderson passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 17, 2021, at her new home in Kennewick, Washington surrounded by her loving family. Just three weeks shy of her 98th birthday, she had lived a full, wonderful, and healthy life that was fully devoted to her family. Mom was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on January 7, 1924, and moved to Seattle with her father (Lawrence Bates) at the age of five after her mother passed away. She lived in Broadmoor in the Madison Park area with her father, stepmother, Mary; brothers, Lawrence (Pete) and Steve; and sister, Lucia. After graduating from Garfield High School in 1942, she attended Whitman College in Walla Walla for several years. She had met her future husband, Rod Anderson, while watching him play on a community softball team in Madison Park, and their courtship continued while she was at Whitman and he was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Pasco. She went into the workforce as a civilian stenographer at the Sand Point Naval Air Station in Seattle near the end of World War II. Following Dad's discharge from the Navy, they were married on March 24, 1945 at the Bates family home in Broadmoor, and lived in several places in Seattle while Dad attended banking school. They subsequently moved to Kirkland in 1946, where she and Dad settled in to raise their three boys, Chris (1949-2002), Tom (1951-__), and Steve (1953-2016) in the small classic town where everyone knew everyone else in the '50s and '60s. After living in several Kirkland homes in the early '50s, they bought the forested property on the corner of 16th Ave & 8th St W, had it cleared and had the house built that served as the family homestead for another 30 years (now torn down and replaced by two houses). Mom and Dad became close friends with other west-of-Market families (the Williams, Dahls, Hudlows, Fenglers, Hewitts, etc.), and we kids still share stories to this day about all the shenanigans they played on each other: a massive stump and huge boulder appearing in a driveway overnight, an outhouse and toilet mysteriously showing up in a front yard while the family was on vacation, tear gas being sprayed on the bottom of a poker table, etc. The good old days in Old Kirkland! Mom was the secretary/receptionist/bookkeeper/payroll clerk/billing clerk/etc. etc. for Beard (subsequently Wilson) Construction in downtown Kirkland for many years - located right across from the old Little League baseball park on Central Way. Her job gave her the flexibility to always be available to us boys to take us to practices or appointments, bring treats to school celebrations or Cub Scout meetings, participate in PTA meetings, launch the boat for us at the old Kirkland boat launch on her way to work so we could ski/fish/explore Lake Washington all day, and all those other things that a devoted working mom does for her kids. Mom and Dad together were very active in supporting the boys' sports and school activities, and were longtime members of the Y's-Mens and Y's-Minettes, a YMCA-related civic group that supported Kirkland youth activities. She also was an active member of the Kirkland Congregational Church from 1951 until her passing (70 years), serving as President of Women's Fellowship, Deacon, Co-Chair of Care Bears, participant on a number of study groups, and organized the church's Christmas decorating effort for a number of years. In her later years, after Dad passed in 1997, Mom was a Volunteer at Overlake Hospital from 1998-2010. Except for a brief time in Port Angeles, Washington where Dad was "Captain of the Port," Mom remained a resident of the Kirkland area for 75 years. There were two constants throughout Mom's life that gave her tremendous enjoyment - going to Sekiu with her family and enabling her "Alta Anglers" to enjoy a Dad-and-sons camping trip. Her father first introduced her and Rod to salmon fishing at Sekiu in the '40s, and it became an annual family outing that continues to this day four generations later - complete with a family cabin in town. Mom refused to use a downrigger to salmon fish, preferring to go old-school instead and hold her pole so she could set the hook the second she felt a bite. She fished Sekiu every year and caught her last salmon in 2017 at age 93...still holding her own pole and bringing it in entirely by herself. As for the Alta Anglers, Dad (along with his buddy, fellow Kirklander, Richard Dahl) started what has become an annual 63-year long springtime migration to camp and fish at Alta Lake in eastern Washington's Okanogan County. Mom played an indispensable role in ensuring that food, clothes, and kids were all packed and ready to go so we could hit the road to Alta as soon as Dad got off work on Friday night. After a jam-packed weekend of fun we'd return home on Sunday afternoon, with Mom always excited to greet us to admire our fish and to hear our stories of the weekend - and to willingly help clean-up the aftermath. While she didn't actually go to Alta herself until after Dad had a stroke and needed her to help him get through the weekend, Mom was the true Alta Angler and "Chief Logistics Officer" who unselfishly enabled her husband and sons to have such a quality time together for so many years. In her later years Mom was part of an informal group of long-time close Kirkland friends who called themselves "the Merry Widows," including Meredith Gaskill, Verna Thormahlen, Ruth Wiesen, JoAnn Harris, and Joan Voves. The six traveling buddies took a number of road trips together throughout the Northwest, a trip to Cape Cod, and multiple visits to one of the member's "cottage" (a multi-bedroom house) on the water at Ocean Shores. Next to being with her family, Mom thoroughly enjoyed her happy times with "the Merry Dubs," and commented how they often drew attention as a group of 80-, 90-, and 100-something year-olds who were out still enjoying life with each other. We should all be so lucky! Mom lived a rich, full, and vibrant life, always had a smile and a pleasant word for everyone, and throughout was the most cheerful and positive person you'd ever want to know. As I always told people, "Mom's my hero and I want to be just like her when I grow up." Barbara is survived by her family: son, Tom and wife Patti; sister, Lucia Huntington and husband Leo; grandchildren, Jason Anderson and wife Megan, Stephanie Allen and husband Eric, Krysten White and husband Charlie, and Kelly Anderson; and great-grandchildren Ainsley, Siobhan, Jack, and Hudson. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Mary Bates; husband, Rod; sons, Chris and Steve; and brothers, Steve and Lawrence Bates. According to her wishes, Mom's ashes will be spread in the waters of Clallam Bay off of Sekiu, Washington to join her father Lawrence, husband Rod, and son Chris. Because we were able to hold a very special and wonderful moving-away reception for Mom at her church just two weeks prior to her passing - in essence a living celebration of her life where she was able to greet many of her friends and family - there are no plans for a memorial service. Just keep her in your hearts as we will. In her memory, contributions may be made to the good works of the Kirkland Congregational Church, 106 5th Ave, Kirkland WA, 98033.