Wife Carol McKinley
Queer Places:
2438 Crestline Dr NW, Olympia, WA 98502
Barbara Ann Gibson (1931 - April 15, 2017) was a civil rights and peace activist, a widely-admired teacher of literature and feminism, a poet, a playwright, a mental health counselor, and a spiritual director. She was a fierce advocate for justice and was creative in many media.
The name of the small town where Barbara grew up Normal, Illinois always amused her, as she herself was far from conventional. She attended Oberlin College and received a BA from the University of Iowa in 1953 and an MA from Wayne State University in 1957. She taught creative writing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1961 to 1970, a vibrant time in the world and in her life. In Milwaukee she was active in CORE and the NAACP, had her family home firebombed by racists and received hate mail, spoke at many antiwar rallies, was a frequent contributor to the local underground newspaper, and was an advocate for gay rights in the early days of gay liberation. She continued her teaching career at Thomas Jefferson College in Michigan, focusing on feminist studies as well as writing.
Barbara moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1970s. She received a Master of Education from the University of Washington and became a mental health counselor at The Evergreen State College. As her life progressed, Barbara became less involved in radical politics and immersed herself in spiritual teachings, receiving a Doctor of Ministry from Matthew Fox's University of Creation Spirituality and a Spiritual Director Certification from St. Placid Priory Spirituality Center. She wrote several mystical plays about the deity Sophia. She served on the board of Interfaith Works in Olympia, and was a founder of their Moments of Blessing. She loved her church, Community for Interfaith Celebration, and was intimately involved with it until she became too diminished by age to attend. Barbara was wildly creative, freewheeling, kind, generous, warm, insightful, fair, funny, playful, curious, outspoken. She had a vivid personality and was a powerful presence. She brought people together and formed communities. She doted on cats and dogs and loved the animals of the woodland. She swam in lakes and rivers and seas. She loved the grandeur and grace of trees and their colors at different times of the year. She never failed to make people laugh, no matter how dire the situation.
Barbara leaves behind numerous writings, including the play The Abolitionist's Wife, performed at Olympia Family Theater. Her books of poetry include This Woman; Psalms for Troubled Times; Olympia; On the Bridge: New Olympia Poems; and Waiting to Fly, her reflections on the end of life. She also leaves many paintings, fabric art pieces, songs, and a legacy of justice advocacy and love of beauty. Her written work incorporates simple but profound language, liberating theology, ancient traditions re-thought and re-worked, and messages to inspire and comfort.
Barbara Ann Gibson died on April 15, 2017 at the home that she shared with her beloved wife Carol D. McKinley (born March, 1942) in Olympia, Washington.
My published books: