ANN SHELLY BARKER

MIDDLEBURY — Ann Shelly Barker was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 12, 1945, to Bob and Betty Barker. She grew up in Connecticut, attended Milton Academy in Massachusetts and earned degrees from Smith College, Cornell University, and Yale University. She was on the English Literature faculties of Yale, Cornell, and Middlebury Colleges.

In 1947, her father, an avid skier, renovated a collapsing 1840’s farmhouse without electricity on a remote road in the mountains of Vermont. Ann later lived there for 36 years, close to her friends, with her horses and dogs and her many gardens.

She was both a Buddhist and a Quaker and taught many intensive, silent retreats in the Theravada Buddhist traditions. When she retired from academic teaching she became the first online teacher of Buddhist practice; her students lived on every continent except Antarctica.

A lover of music, Ann toured as a singer with a chamber music group and was a regular patron of concerts at Middlebury College.

She was preceded in death by her brother Ben and her former husband, Eric Kolvig.  She is survived by her siblings Jim and Margaret, her nieces, and her nephews. Nephew Will Barker and his family and her many friends were particularly important to her. ◊