Barbara Clara Loucks (a.k.a Newell)

February 27, 1955 - October 20, 2026

Born to Verne Ralph Loucks and the phenomenal Anne Theresa Schell Loucks in gorgeous Boise, Idaho, Barbara is the youngest of 11 children. Two of her siblings, David and Margaret Anne beat her to the Great Beyond. Her siblings Kitty, George, Bob, Tom, Tony, Ted, Roni, and Chris are hanging around to make sure this big, beautiful family stays in line! Barbara spent her younger years loving her family, helping out at the ranch, laughing at her sister when she was rammed through a barn door by a sheep, riding horses, having wild adventures in VW Bugs and a Porsche, drinking too much Irish Whiskey, playing cards, working at Hill House (she loved their cinnamon rolls), and running for Capital High.

Barbara got married and had two kids, Ang and Kate, in her early twenties. When she got married, she had no college education and was in a low-paying job. By her mid-twenties, she knew the marriage was not healthy or happy. She divorced and retained sole custody of her young children. She fought to keep her kids in school and on the straight and narrow while she worked at Boise Cascade and went to college.

Before she was 30, she earned a college degree at Boise State and showed her young children what it was to fight for an education. Along the way, she ran marathons, competed and won in Boise Cascade's Battle of the Corporate Stars, completed several laps for Relay for Life, and was a community volunteer and volunteer mentor for young professional women. She made amazing friends, Kendra, Marti, Sarah, Bruce, Wayne, Corbett, Cheri, Karen, Paul, and so many more.

She earned her masters degree the same year her oldest daughter earned her bachelors degree. Her children went on to earn masters degrees and a PhD and both have successful families and careers. Angie is a researcher and program office director in Texas. She is married to Cesar and is mom to Sebastian. Katie is a Speech Pathologist in Hawaii. She is married to Shanker and is mom to Kai.

When she was in her early 40s, Barbara was diagnosed with a deadly cancer. She went through surgeries, radiation, chemo, and worked the entire time. Her daughters took care of her and made sure that her Hickman port was regularly used as a microphone to belt out songs, she always had her favorite smoothies-even though she lost all her taste buds, and that her bald head was covered in fake tattoos. She ran with her sisters, Roni and Chris, and her daughter up Robie Creek and Table Rock almost every weekend. She loved the music at St. Mary's and was a bell choir member at St. Mark's. She beat cancer and excelled in her career as a Labor Relations Specialist with Albertson's in Boise and then Ch2MHill in the Tri-Cities.

And she volunteered. In Boise, she volunteered us all at the Women's Shelter. In the Tri-Cities, she served as a community mediator for more than a decade. She also served on the City of Richland Human Resources Commission and as a volunteer wine taster for the Tri-Cities Wine Society (it's a hard job!), where she is a very loyal member.

When she was just 50 years old, she was stricken with a debilitating case of Multiple Sclerosis. It took away her ability to walk, to run, to do so many of the things that she loved. But, she was persistent. She did not give in or give up. She grabbed life by the bullhorns and rode. She met the love of her life, Jim, in a water aerobics class. Together, they travelled all over the Pacific Northwest, the Rockies, the West, Southwest, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico. They explored restaurants and all kinds of cooking. They danced. They screamed at the nightly news, together, and loved the Big Bang Theory. They enjoyed the wine society, they went to plays, they loved the Portland Gay Men's Chorus. They regularly rounded up the family for trips to the Oregon Coast, one of Barb's very favorite places. They found a spiritual home at Shalom United Church of Christ. They spent every day of the past 20 years cherishing each other, our family, and friends.

In the past few years, watching their grandbabies grow has filled Barb and Jim with immense joy. Just as she did with her daughters and with Jim's unwavering agreement and support, through every endeavor, every action, every gift, they try to make sure that Kai and Sebastian have access to and learn to value every educational and experiential opportunity. And that, through their example, Kai and Sebastian learn the values of responsibility, persistence, and generosity and know that they are deeply valued and loved profoundly.

Barb was beloved. She volunteered in the community, hosted play readings, had wheelchair races with her grandchildren, watched whales and ocean sunsets, drove her love, Jim, crazy. She lived every day to the fullest. As a mediator, she made sure that so many families stayed out of the courts and were able to resolve things amicably, unlike her own vicious divorce. As a volunteer and as part of her work, she fought to make sure that people from varied backgrounds and skill levels find a path to a career and a fulfilling life. As a professional, she brought her young colleagues up with her and taught them that by raising everyone up, you go higher. To her daughters, she was everything.

In her office, throughout her career was a poster of a frog choking a bird that was trying to swallow it. The caption to the poster reads: NEVER EVER GIVE UP! Barbara chose courage when defeat would be so easy. She chose light. She chose LOVE. Her life is an inspiration.

We will celebrate Barb's Life at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 2, 2027 at Shalom United Church of Christ in Richland, Washington and via Zoom. Details to follow.

Should you wish to make a donation in Barbara's name, please consider:

The Barbara Loucks Memorial Donation

Shalom United Church of Christ

shalom@shalomunitedchurch.org

The Jodie Long/Veronica Loucks Nursing Endowment

Boise State University

heatherjauregui@boisestate.edu