Obituary for Barbara Virginia Ebner
NEW PRESTON -Barbara V. Ebner
Retired teacher/ camp director and owner of summer camps
Barbara V. Ebner passed away suddenly and walked over the rainbow bridge to be with some of her loving past canines on Saturday March 28, 2020. Her short battle with Lymphoma Cancer ended with an unexpected incident occurring after her first chemo treatment.
Barb was born in Elizabeth N.J. July 29, 1937 and after a short residence in Westfield N.J., the family moved to East Orange, N.J. where her father was a teacher in the school system. After graduating from the East Orange schools, she attended Newark State College in New Jersey where she earned her B.A. and M. A. in education. Newark State College became Kean University in later years and is now located in Union New Jersey. With her dad in the East Orange schools, Barb also followed in the same path and became an elementary teacher at Franklin School in East Orange. Later on her two brothers also joined teaching in the same system and they became a family phenomenon. All four had graduated from Newark State and all four were teachers in the same school system. In 1969 she moved to Washington, CT and began teaching in Kent elementary school until her retirement from teaching in 1978.
Barbara started her career in summer camps when the family bought property on Mt Tom spanning Litchfield and Washington CT, They opened a girls camp for the summer of 1955, with Barb as one of the anchor staff members. She then grew through the years learning just about everything there was to know about every program that might operate at the summer camp, while she continued her profession in teaching. She also became involved with the local girl scouts and sea scouts as an advisor and group leader. Another passion of hers was music. Barb was one of the founding members of the Farmington Valley Sweet Adelines chapter of barbershop singing. She also held numerous positions on the Sweet Adelines Region #1 management team. She recently received her fifty year pin with the International Sweet Adelines Organization.
Around the same time that Barbara was considering leaving the education field, operating with the camp full time became a real need as she became Director of Camp Chinqueka. With her long alliance working and directing camps, Barbara was also inducted into the ACA (American Camp Association) Pioneers in Camping. This distinguished honor is bestowed on professionals working in summer camp operations for more than thirty years. Recently, there were about 150 camp professionals nationwide listed in this group.
Her love for nature and outdoors also spanned to the ocean and beaches. She frequented Ft Myers Beach, Florida since the late 50’s and became a part owner with other family members of two houses on the beach there in the 80’s. This was a winter retreat that she almost annually relaxed there with other family members for several of the winter months. There is nothing better than a Western view of a grand sunset on the Gulf. Barb also travelled extensively around Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Barbara is survived by her oldest niece who lived with her, Kristin Ebner Martin and Kris’ son Hugh Martin. She is also survived by her two brothers Oscar Jr. (Buzz) Ebner(Sherry), Robert Ebner (Diane), nieces Tracey Bushey (Richard), Kathleen Tranquillo (Peter), and Tricia Neary; nephews Kevin Ebner (Liz), Kurt Ebner ( Kristen), Robert Ebner (Beth), Grant Ebner (Kate), and 8 grand nieces and nephews. She will be most missed by her two beloved surviving canines Mickey and Skippy.
A celebration of Barbara Ebner’s extraordinary life working with thousands of campers and staff, will be held at Camp Chinqueka later in the summer on the camp grounds of Chinqueka.
Donations honoring her life can be celebrated with a donation to the ACA ( American Camp Association) made to the Barbara Ebner/ Chinqueka scholarship fund - for children in families unable to afford a summer camp experience ( focused on Litchfield County residents). Donate on line @ www.acacamps.org/campership
Retired teacher/ camp director and owner of summer camps
Barbara V. Ebner passed away suddenly and walked over the rainbow bridge to be with some of her loving past canines on Saturday March 28, 2020. Her short battle with Lymphoma Cancer ended with an unexpected incident occurring after her first chemo treatment.
Barb was born in Elizabeth N.J. July 29, 1937 and after a short residence in Westfield N.J., the family moved to East Orange, N.J. where her father was a teacher in the school system. After graduating from the East Orange schools, she attended Newark State College in New Jersey where she earned her B.A. and M. A. in education. Newark State College became Kean University in later years and is now located in Union New Jersey. With her dad in the East Orange schools, Barb also followed in the same path and became an elementary teacher at Franklin School in East Orange. Later on her two brothers also joined teaching in the same system and they became a family phenomenon. All four had graduated from Newark State and all four were teachers in the same school system. In 1969 she moved to Washington, CT and began teaching in Kent elementary school until her retirement from teaching in 1978.
Barbara started her career in summer camps when the family bought property on Mt Tom spanning Litchfield and Washington CT, They opened a girls camp for the summer of 1955, with Barb as one of the anchor staff members. She then grew through the years learning just about everything there was to know about every program that might operate at the summer camp, while she continued her profession in teaching. She also became involved with the local girl scouts and sea scouts as an advisor and group leader. Another passion of hers was music. Barb was one of the founding members of the Farmington Valley Sweet Adelines chapter of barbershop singing. She also held numerous positions on the Sweet Adelines Region #1 management team. She recently received her fifty year pin with the International Sweet Adelines Organization.
Around the same time that Barbara was considering leaving the education field, operating with the camp full time became a real need as she became Director of Camp Chinqueka. With her long alliance working and directing camps, Barbara was also inducted into the ACA (American Camp Association) Pioneers in Camping. This distinguished honor is bestowed on professionals working in summer camp operations for more than thirty years. Recently, there were about 150 camp professionals nationwide listed in this group.
Her love for nature and outdoors also spanned to the ocean and beaches. She frequented Ft Myers Beach, Florida since the late 50’s and became a part owner with other family members of two houses on the beach there in the 80’s. This was a winter retreat that she almost annually relaxed there with other family members for several of the winter months. There is nothing better than a Western view of a grand sunset on the Gulf. Barb also travelled extensively around Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Barbara is survived by her oldest niece who lived with her, Kristin Ebner Martin and Kris’ son Hugh Martin. She is also survived by her two brothers Oscar Jr. (Buzz) Ebner(Sherry), Robert Ebner (Diane), nieces Tracey Bushey (Richard), Kathleen Tranquillo (Peter), and Tricia Neary; nephews Kevin Ebner (Liz), Kurt Ebner ( Kristen), Robert Ebner (Beth), Grant Ebner (Kate), and 8 grand nieces and nephews. She will be most missed by her two beloved surviving canines Mickey and Skippy.
A celebration of Barbara Ebner’s extraordinary life working with thousands of campers and staff, will be held at Camp Chinqueka later in the summer on the camp grounds of Chinqueka.
Donations honoring her life can be celebrated with a donation to the ACA ( American Camp Association) made to the Barbara Ebner/ Chinqueka scholarship fund - for children in families unable to afford a summer camp experience ( focused on Litchfield County residents). Donate on line @ www.acacamps.org/campership