Barbara Louise Thiele
August 6th, 1939 - August 6th, 2024
Share Book of Memories with a Friend
Please enter the name and email details so that we can send your friend a link to the online tribute. No names or addresses will be collected by using this service.
Barbara's Obituary
Barbara Louise Dower Thiele was born on August 6, 1939, in Takoma Park, Maryland, and passed away on her 85th birthday, August 6, 2024, in Berrien Springs, Michigan, where she had lived since 2020.
Barbara attended Takoma Academy, Maryland, and Blue Mountain Academy, Pennsylvania. It was during her elementary school years, participating in a children’s chorus which recorded an album, that Barbara grew an appreciation for music and learned to sing, which she loved to do, in praise to Jesus, throughout her life. She was a soprano for Sounds of Praise, an Adventist group based out of the Santa Rosa area that toured on the west coast during the late 1970s.
Barbara furthered her education at Paradise Valley Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing, in California. She became a Registered Nurse in the State of California in 1961 and later was certified as a Gerontological Nurse by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Board.
In 1960 Barbara married John Herman Thiele, to whom she was married until they divorced in 1992. A few years after starting their family, John and Barbara settled in Santa Rosa, California, where they attended the Santa Rosa Seventh-day Adventist Church. The family attended church there together for many years and their five children attended Redwood Adventist Academy for most of their formative years.
While living in Santa Rosa, Barbara worked at local convalescent hospitals as a registered nurse. Her career evolved beyond general nursing when she was hired as Director of Nurses at Summerfield Convalescent Hospital. Later in her career, she worked as Social Director of Golden Living Center. After retirement, she continued her commitment to faith-based service as a faith community nurse.
In addition to loving her vocation, Barbara loved to cook for family and friends. She loved attending church musical events, taking long walks with her friends and family, traveling to the Lake Tahoe and Yosemite areas for vacations with family or friends she made through Adventist Singles Ministry, and tending to her beautiful garden.
Barbara was a lifelong Seventh Day Adventist. She was deeply dedicated to her church community at the Santa Rosa Adventist Church. Active in various outreach ministries, Barbara was cherished for her role as a prayer warrior. Her faith in Jesus Christ was a cornerstone of her life, evident in her dedication to daily prayer, devotional study, and sharing the Gospel with others. She lived in the expectation and hope that Jesus would come in her lifetime.
Barbara Thiele's life was a testament to her devotion to her family, her faith, and her profession. Her Christian example and generosity of spirit will continue to live through the many lives she touched. Her life and legacy are fondly remembered by her family.
She is survived by her children, David Thiele, Vicki Williams, Robin Dybedal, Cathlien Thiele, and Brenda Glennie; grandchildren, Phillip Dybedal, Paden Dybedal, Yoshihito Thiele, and Satoshi Thiele; and great-granddaughter, Natalie Dybedal.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Dorothy Dower (née Clark), her sister Roberta “Maureen” Dower, and granddaughter Brittany Dybedal.
A memorial service to celebrate Barbara's life will be held at the Santa Rosa SDA Church, 840 Sonoma Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95404. on September 21 at 6:00 p.m. For those who can not personally attend, the service will be livestreamed on Facebook, and later uploaded to YouTube.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Barbara's memory to Child Impact International: Operation Child Rescue and EGW Writings Partners. Contributions can be made online at the respective websites provided for each organization, or by mailing them to the addresses shown on the contact pages included in each website.
Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www. Heritage-chapel.com.
Barbara attended Takoma Academy, Maryland, and Blue Mountain Academy, Pennsylvania. It was during her elementary school years, participating in a children’s chorus which recorded an album, that Barbara grew an appreciation for music and learned to sing, which she loved to do, in praise to Jesus, throughout her life. She was a soprano for Sounds of Praise, an Adventist group based out of the Santa Rosa area that toured on the west coast during the late 1970s.
Barbara furthered her education at Paradise Valley Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing, in California. She became a Registered Nurse in the State of California in 1961 and later was certified as a Gerontological Nurse by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Board.
In 1960 Barbara married John Herman Thiele, to whom she was married until they divorced in 1992. A few years after starting their family, John and Barbara settled in Santa Rosa, California, where they attended the Santa Rosa Seventh-day Adventist Church. The family attended church there together for many years and their five children attended Redwood Adventist Academy for most of their formative years.
While living in Santa Rosa, Barbara worked at local convalescent hospitals as a registered nurse. Her career evolved beyond general nursing when she was hired as Director of Nurses at Summerfield Convalescent Hospital. Later in her career, she worked as Social Director of Golden Living Center. After retirement, she continued her commitment to faith-based service as a faith community nurse.
In addition to loving her vocation, Barbara loved to cook for family and friends. She loved attending church musical events, taking long walks with her friends and family, traveling to the Lake Tahoe and Yosemite areas for vacations with family or friends she made through Adventist Singles Ministry, and tending to her beautiful garden.
Barbara was a lifelong Seventh Day Adventist. She was deeply dedicated to her church community at the Santa Rosa Adventist Church. Active in various outreach ministries, Barbara was cherished for her role as a prayer warrior. Her faith in Jesus Christ was a cornerstone of her life, evident in her dedication to daily prayer, devotional study, and sharing the Gospel with others. She lived in the expectation and hope that Jesus would come in her lifetime.
Barbara Thiele's life was a testament to her devotion to her family, her faith, and her profession. Her Christian example and generosity of spirit will continue to live through the many lives she touched. Her life and legacy are fondly remembered by her family.
She is survived by her children, David Thiele, Vicki Williams, Robin Dybedal, Cathlien Thiele, and Brenda Glennie; grandchildren, Phillip Dybedal, Paden Dybedal, Yoshihito Thiele, and Satoshi Thiele; and great-granddaughter, Natalie Dybedal.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Dorothy Dower (née Clark), her sister Roberta “Maureen” Dower, and granddaughter Brittany Dybedal.
A memorial service to celebrate Barbara's life will be held at the Santa Rosa SDA Church, 840 Sonoma Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95404. on September 21 at 6:00 p.m. For those who can not personally attend, the service will be livestreamed on Facebook, and later uploaded to YouTube.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Barbara's memory to Child Impact International: Operation Child Rescue and EGW Writings Partners. Contributions can be made online at the respective websites provided for each organization, or by mailing them to the addresses shown on the contact pages included in each website.
Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www. Heritage-chapel.com.
Service Details
View the current service details below. Sign up for email or text updates to receive notifications of any changes to service schedules or important information.