Barbara Skiff

A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, July 30th at 10:00 a.m. at Our Saviour's United Methodist Church, 701 E. Schaumburg Rd. Schaumburg, IL 60194

In a high school reunion newsletter Barb wrote that she was most proud of “being a successful mother, wife, and teacher all at the same time!”

Mother

Her love for children led her to serve as a scout leader for her son ‘s Cub Scout and daughter’s Brownie Troops as well as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School Teacher at Our Saviour’s Methodist Church in Schaumburg. Ever supportive of her children she served as team mother for her children’s many Schaumburg Athletic Association’s teams.

Her maternal love continued unabated with the arrival of her four grandchildren. Ever the nurturer, she engaged them in such creative projects as expository writing, exciting field trips (Chicago, Disney Land), and developmental challenges (learning to swim, play baseball, etc.)

Wife

A devoted wife she taught and supported her husband while he completed his master’s and doctoral degrees. Reluctant, but understanding, she supported him in moving to Illinois when he received the opportunity to teach at Northwestern University. She always looked forward to their travels together whether to the Louisiana Bayous, the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies or the Swiss Alps.

Teacher

Her love for children began as a summer camp counselor at Camp Aloha in Vermont and Wono Sailing Camp in Brewster, Massachusetts.

A graduate of Lesley College, she began her teaching career in Natick, MA. After teaching for five years, she took a leave of absence to start her family and moved to Schaumburg, where she taught for 22 years at McArthur and Armstrong schools in District 54. Ever a team player, she helped the district experiment with the implementation of “multi-age” learning at Armstrong.

Committed to professional excellence, she earned the equivalent of a master’s degree through continuing educational programs and was nominated for a Golden Apple Award.

Having grown up on the grounds of Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum in Weston, MA., she was an avid gardener. Her interest in gardening was greatly influenced by her father, a professor of horticulture at Harvard University, and her mother, a national flower show judge. Her father cultivated a new species of crabapple tree which he named after her called the Malus Barbara Ann Crabapple.

Her favorite saying, “The trail you leave behind is more important than the path ahead.”



Barbara W. Skiff (nee Wyman), 79, of Schaumburg for 44 years, passed away Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Born July 24, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts, Barbara was a long-time teacher in District 54. Coming from a family with a rich horticultural background she was an avid gardener. She was dearly loved by her family. She treasured spending time with her grandchildren and will be greatly missed. Beloved wife of 57years of Dr. Dana Skiff; loving mother of Bradford (Amy) Skiff and Holly (Joseph) Kaminski; cherished grandmother of Mackenzie, Bennett, Jacob and Matthew; dear daughter of the late Dr. Donald and Florence Wyman; kind sister of Dorothea, John, the late Donald, Jr. and fond aunt to many. Memorial visitation 2:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. Sunday, May 1, 2022, at the Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory, 1640 S. Green Meadows Blvd (at Barrington Road), Streamwood. Cremation was private at the Countryside Crematory. A celebration of her life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, www.jdrf.org, or American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, would be appreciated.