BARBARA ANNE SALVATORE

BARBARA ANNE SALVATORE It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Barbara Anne Salvatore on February 26th, 2023, at the age of 80. She fought a brief but valiant battle with an aggressive cancer.
Our beautiful and kind wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother is survived by husband Mike Salvatore, and daughters, Natalie Dahl, Kelly Lowrie (Daniel) & Annette Stuckey (Darin), as well as stepson Paul Salvatore. Along with Barb’s children, she is survived by her 10 grandchildren Travis (Danielle), Jaret, Brenna, Brandon (Chelsea), Miranda (Dan), Sophi, Maya, Kiana, Vince, and Noah, along with her 6 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents Merle and Jean Sundberg, and brother Robert (Bob) Sundberg. Sadly, we also lost Michele Salvatore (stepdaughter) to cancer in 2021.
Barbara was born in Calgary, Alberta but was raised in Banff. While still a student herself, she taught piano. After graduating high school, she continued to teach her piano students and work in the local shops which she remembered fondly. Barb started her family in Banff where her first two girls were born. She returned to Calgary where her third daughter was born and then went to work for AGT for several years while raising her family in the 60’s. Barb’s life took her to Richmond, BC in the mid 70’s where she stayed busy with work and her three girls.
She ventured back to Alberta a couple of years later where she found work in Medicine Hat and met and married Mike. After a few years together, Barbara had the opportunity to stay at home to help build their business. Eventually, she returned to the work force and soon found her calling as the Executive Director for the John Howard Society in the late 80’s.
Barb and Mike moved to B.C. where they had business interests and soon found that home for them was in Ladner. Together they continued to grow their business, and there Barb found a new passion which was to volunteer with Delta Assist. Barb and Mike spent many years fishing and exploring the coastal waters in their boat and loved the opportunity to share this passion with their grandchildren and other family members when they would come to visit. Eventually, the boat was replaced by an RV and later a motorhome and their penchant to explore and travel would take them to many places in Canada, the USA and Mexico.
Barb was very creative and loved to work with her hands. As a child, she would help her dad in his woodworking shop, then as a young mother would sew all of her girls’ clothes, and in later years you could find her working with pottery. She was a wonderful cook and spent hours entertaining friends and family at their home in Ladner. In the winter, she continued that entertaining atmosphere at their annual retreat in Mexico with their many close friends.
She will be dearly missed and forever loved in our hearts.
Our deepest thank you to the exceptional care and compassion she received from the staff in Palliative Care at St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Barb’s honour for her birthday in June this summer.