A bright beacon of light that had guided our family was extinguished with the passing of Barbara Anne Bugg on Jan. 17, 2007.
Barbara passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Barb was born in Vancouver on April 9, 1942. In 1947 the family moved to Montreal, Quebec. After elementary school she attended St. Helen's school for girls. She successfully completed her Grade 8 Toronto Conservatory of Music exam and was awarded a fine arts scholarship to the Slade School of Art in London, England. Family finances interfered but Barb was undeterred. She worked as a dental assistant and studied art in her spare time -- sometimes working all night to finish a commissioned project. Later she attended the Vancouver School of Art (Emily Carr) for a year.
However, travelling became her new passion. Barb and a friend travelled to India, Australia and New Zealand for two years. She then moved to Kamloops where she married and had two daughters Siobhan in 1971 and Jennifer in 1973.
Eventually Barb and her daughters moved to Comox where she met her second husband, Tom Bugg. They fell in love and were married in August, 1979.
Tom was retiring from the Canadian Air Force and moved on to a career of flying helicopters which brought the family to Williams Lake in 1982. Barb loved the Cariboo and loved the people she met.
She was a full-time caregiver and joined the Cariboo Art Society, flourishing as an accomplished artist while making new friends in the society. Her work included pastels, watercolours, and pen and ink drawings. She would spend a lot of her free time painting with friends Vivian Cowan and her daughter Sonia Cornwall.
In 1988 her passion turned to pottery and she spent many hours with potter Anna Roberts and the artisans of the Cariboo Potters Guild. She was able to win numerous awards and always worked to perfect her glazes and raku work.
Barb dealt with her affliction as she did with all things in life, with grace, dignity and good humour. Her last weeks, while often very trying, afforded her the opportunity to enjoy the warmth of her family and good friends. She invariably viewed the glass as half full and put the interest and well-being of others ahead of her own.
Barb's memory will forever remain in the hearts and minds of her husband of 27 years, Thomas Bugg, mother Anne Matthews, brother Ross Matthews and two daughters, Siobhan (Corey) Wright and Jennifer (Mark) Kopp and her six beautiful grandchildren: Sarah, Nicholas, Liam, Eric, Jesse, and Kelsey.
Our family wishes to extend sincere and heartfelt thanks to all members of the Cariboo Potters Guild, the Williams Lake Art Society, the Williams Lake Spinners and Weavers Guild. You were more than fellow artists. You were true friends and Barb rejoiced in your many kindnesses. All those lunches and baked goodies, your many visits, cards, flowers were truly appreciated.
Special thanks go out to longtime family friends Diane Bonnell, Linda Wasylenko and Libby Abbot for their love and support for Barbara and for us right to the end of her life.
We last, but not least wish to thank Dr. Labossiere, Dr. Brosseuk and Dr. Gill for the wonderful care they gave Barb. The nurses and staff, the Hospice/Palliative Care Society all were interested and cared about her welfare.
Barbara touched many people with her warm heart and was loved by everyone who knew her.