Obituary of Barbara Jean Mohilef

On November 30, 2019, our beloved mother Barbara Jean Mohilef passed away at the age of 82 in DuPont, Washington. She was born in January 1937 to Clarke and Helen Walter in Cleveland, Ohio. She was predeceased by her older sister, Margaret Dopp; and survived by her younger brother, Joseph (Kate) Walter, MD.

Barbara was full of stories about childhood adventures on her grandparents’ farm during WWII. She attended an all-girls high school in Virginia and developed a lifelong love of folk tunes and the dobro when she accompanied the school nurse into the Appalachians to volunteer medical services. She met her first husband, Norman Heyerdahl, while attending Wittenberg University in Ohio. They married shortly afterward and had three children by the time they were 23.

After becoming an empty-nester in the late 1970s, Barbara started a career at Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, retiring as a manager in Tektronix's fabrication business. There she met her second husband, Ben Mohilef. During their time in Tucson, she spent many happy mornings walking in the Catalina Mountains near their home.

After her children and grandchildren, Barbara's second love was music. She sang, played the guitar, dobro, and banjo, and played coffee house gigs in college. She was widely read and knowledgeable on many subjects, but especially history. She collected antiques and had a passion for cooking. She loved to play word games, cards, and cribbage, and was almost unbeatable at Scrabble. She was active in bridge clubs for many years. She was known for her quick wit, integrity, love of laughter, and kindness.

Three years ago, Barbara moved to Washington State to be closer to her children. She enjoyed Thanksgiving Day, playing games with her children and grandchildren the day before she peacefully left us.

She is survived by her husband, Benjamin Mohilef of Portland, Oregon; son, Mark Heyerdahl of Federal Way, Washington; daughters, Lt. Colonel (ret) Kristina Fortmann (Troy) of DuPont,Washington, and Emily Heyerdahl, Ph.D. of Missoula, Montana; and four grandchildren.

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