BARBARA ‘BOBBIE’ ANDREWS

MIDDLEBURY — Our mother, Barbara “Bobbie” Andrews, died Friday, Nov. 29, surrounded by her children. She had written her own obituary, in part because she didn’t want to burden her children with that task, and in part because she valued accuracy and clarity in writing, something she strove for in her professional life. In her own words:

Barbara Andrews was born Sept. 19, 1933, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and grew up on the Corsica River, near the town of Centreville. She was the daughter of Clarence and Margaret (White) Woodward.

She graduated from Centreville High School in 1951 and Penn State University in 1955, and then worked in the Personnel Dept. of the Link Belt Co. in Philadelphia. She married Robert Conquest in 1957 and moved to Norfolk, Va., where he was serving in the Navy, and she worked as a reporter for the Norfolk Evening Paper.

They moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Bobbie worked in the Public Relations Office of the Cleveland Orchestra and then for the Cleveland Press. Their four children were born there.

In 1970, the family moved to Shelburne, Vt. Bobbie worked as an Early Education teacher and then for Garden Way, in Charlotte. Later, she worked for the American Cancer Society as Manager of the Hope Lodge, and eventually as Area Director for Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. She met her second husband, David (Dave) Andrews, an Anthropology professor at Middlebury College, who served on the Cancer Society Board, and they married in 1987.

Shortly after their marriage, they lived for a year in Honduras, as Dave did anthropology research on a Fulbright Scholarship. In 1989 they moved to Middlebury, where Dave continued teaching anthropology at Middlebury College, and Bobbie worked as Manager of Round Robin, a nonprofit shop that benefits Porter Hospital. After retiring, she continued to be busy with volunteer work; as a member of the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society; and with travel, including 13 winters in Prescott, Ariz., where she loved to hike.

Our mother is survived by her husband, David Andrews; and her children, Chip Conquest, Meg Gonzalez, Caroline Shortsleeve and Mark Conquest; stepchildren Brian Andrews and Karen Slater; nine grandchildren, and sister Eleanor Hunt.

A memorial will be held at a later date, in Middlebury. Memorial donations may be made to Champlain Valley Union High School, COTS, or a nonprofit of your choice.

Mom included two other items in her obituary. The first was an editorial directive included on a scrap of paper: “I refuse to ‘pass away’, I do agree to ‘die.’” The other was this: “She thrived on her many work experiences and the love of her children. I am most proud of my legacy — that I leave four children who will always put more into this world than they take out.” No mom, that was you.◊