Barbara Alice Kirkpatrick

Barbara Alice Kirkpatrick, 81, of College Station, was born April 12, 1940 and went to be with her Lord on April 4, 2022

Barbara was an intelligent, beautiful, and loving woman who never met a stranger. A compassionate woman and an advocate for those in need, she taught her family to love and accept all people for who they are, not who we expect them to be.

Barbara was a nurse at her core, offering her medical knowledge and experience in her desire to help people be healthy. Her passion and love for beauty and health also extended to plants and animals to watch them develop and mature as well. Her life was centered on caring for others with a genuine interest in their struggles and life stories. She always wanted to know what her family was doing, who they were doing it with, and how their time was spent; she did not care about things – she cared about people!

Barbara grew up in Circleville, Ohio, and loved swimming, water skiing, and being a “car hop” on roller skates. She enjoyed reading voraciously, gardening, bird watching, and playing the piano. She is remembered fondly as playing cards with her mother, Lois, and also with her children while “bossing them around” with chores that taught life skills and a work ethic to be busy and useful while serving others. She instilled in them to live in the moment, spend time and money taking care of yourself, and to show compassion and express love for others frequently.

She met Tim Kirkpatrick while growing up in the Methodist Church and began to date while in middle school. Separated during her college years and his Army service, the high school sweethearts were married after Barbara graduated from Ohio State in 1962 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Registered Nursing.  She specialized in Mental Health, Medical/Surgical, and Emergency Medicine for over 20 years at St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, TX. She was intentionally close to her patients and fellow staff, even bringing them into her home and giving them the “shirt off her back”,  to ensure that they felt loved and cared for. She often shared without boundaries, sometimes to her own detriment, but she gave without expectation of anything in return.

Barbara loved her jewelry, clothing, high heels, and makeup, as being both feminine and a strong woman were important to her.  She was a feminist before the feminist theory was even cool. She did what she wanted and NEVER took no for an answer, even if it meant sitting quietly, thinking, and then doing what needed to be done, on her own, according to her own rules, values, and desires. Her daughter Amy relates that her mom’s prioritization of her relationship with her high school sweetheart, Joe, planted seeds to value what’s important to other people and to help them to reach their goals, even as young adults.

Barbara shared memories with her children about growing up in the Methodist church, as she enjoyed playing the piano and organ for the church and her community. She shared her faith in the Lord Jesus with her children when relating to life experiences and God’s abundant blessings over the years. Worshipping in the Methodist as well as Episcopalian churches, her spirituality was shared as important values and exposure to different cultures and traditions that allowed her children the critical thinking skills to choose their own path.

Her daughters are grateful for the compassionate love and care-giving she provided for their father, Tim Kirkpatrick, following their remarriage, which allowed them to return to their hometown of Circleville, OH, for a special season of love and companionship.  Barbara had been married to Tom’s father, Dr. Tom Washam, for 14 years and the children remember with gratitude those formative years.

Barbara is reunited in Heaven with the love of her life, her husband, James Timothy Kirkpatrick, as well as her parents, sister Martha Ann, and many furry family members.

She is survived by her children; Lisa Lynne Kirkpatrick and spouse, Mark Edward Schumacher; Amy Kathleen Castillo and  spouse, Joe Gerardo Castillo; and Thomas William Washam. Other survivors include her brothers, James Samuel of College Station, TX, and Richard Samuel of Akron OH., and her much-loved former husband, Bill Thomas.  Her grandchildren include, Alejandro Liam Martinez, Micah Becal Castillo, Adam Emil Castillo, Alaina Faith Castillo, David Estephan Castillo, and Addison Taylor Warner; and many beloved pets.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to St. Joseph’s Hospital of College Station and of Bryan for the compassionate care provided during Barbara's extended illness and her final days.