Barbara Hirschi

Barbara Jo Johnson Hirschi was born November 29, 1937 in Los Angeles, CA to Benjamin Bruton Johnson and Beth K Mangum.  She passed away peacefully on August 27, 2022 at the age of 84.  She was the eldest of three daughters.  Her sister Bette Jean was born about two years later. Her beloved sister, Beverly Beth, was born in September of 1945.  A few hours after delivering Beverly, Barbara’s mother Beth passed away. In May of 1946 Barbara’s father, Ben, married Cleo Stapley.  With this union, the family gained a mother and two brothers, Thomas Marvin Scott and James Darrel Vance.

Barbara was a southern California girl through and through.  The highlight of the summers of her youth was time spent with family at the beach.  Barbara and cousins would rent inflated rubber rafts at the cost of $1 per day.  They would spend up to eight hours in the ocean.  When their parents would call and wave for them to come in the kids turned their rafts around and would pretend they didn’t see or hear the adults. As a consequence of her time in the sun, Barbara had many appointments with the dermatologist – but it was worth it!

Barbara enjoyed all her years of schooling and she was an excellent and disciplined student.  She began attending Brigham Young University in the fall of 1955.  In early 1956 she met a young athlete named Willard Morgan Hirschi.  They were in two dance classes together.  They became acquainted in class, but Willard graduated in the spring of that year and so they began their long-distance courtship.  The majority of their courtship was done via telephone.  Willard had a friend in the phone business that could get Willard free minutes in the evening!  On July 25, 1958 they were married in Downey, CA. in Barbara’s parents’ home.  They were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple in February of 1962. They recently enjoyed their 64th wedding anniversary.

Barbara graduated from BYU in August of 1958 with a degree in elementary education; she almost made her goal of graduating before marriage!  Barbara taught school for two years in Thatcher, AZ, two years in Downey, CA and then two years in Santa Clara, CA.  While in Santa Clara Barbara worked on and completed her master’s degree in education from Stanford University.

The couple moved to Orem, UT in 1964 and purchased a duplex as their first home.  Beth and Carolyn were born while living in this home.  In 1971 they built their forever home in Orem.  Brent and Melissa were born while living there. Barbara spent untold hours making the neighborhood more beautiful with her picture-perfect yard!

Barbara taught elementary school in the Orem area for 25 years.  The majority of her teaching years were spent teaching fourth grade at Orem Elementary School. She could recognize and remember the names of students she had taught decades earlier.

Barbara was a loving person who shared her love in a variety of ways.  As a fourth-grade student of Barbara’s her love meant you were taught multiplication tables, cursive, comprehensive reading and all things to do with Utah.  Any proud producer of the unprecedented “Utah Books” can testify.  Carolyn’s husband, Karlin, still has his!

Barbara loved her interactions with her sister, friends and neighbors.  As a beloved sister and friend, you were watched over, your house was watched over, you were often the recipient of fresh garden produce grown by Willard.  It meant you were invited to musical performances, plays, movies, sporting events, Taco Bell lunch dates, book club meetings and picnics in the canyon.  It meant you were listened to, laughed with, and served well.

Being loved by Barbara, the grandma, meant your education was valued, your extra-curricular interests were followed and applauded.  You were given thoughtful gifts that would be useful, but also included the fun extra things you normally wouldn’t buy for yourself.  And don’t forget the weekly Sunday night family gatherings that included treats of all kinds.

Being loved by Barbara, the mom and wife, meant you were blessed through her organization.  You always had clean laundry and delicious dinners, and that your summers were spent with countless hours of attention given to you and your flashcards (whether you wanted to or not) and many trips to the library.  It meant you inherited a love of the beach, books, of music (though not rock), of sour cream chocolate cake and most importantly of See’s candy.  You learned to appreciate and how to keep a clean house and a beautifully kept yard. But more than anything, it meant your joys were her joys and your sorrows were deeply felt and shared.

Barbara is survived by her husband Willard, their children: Beth (Ben) Borup, Carolyn (Karlin)Wilkes, Brent (Rachel) Hirschi, Melissa (Jon) Thatcher and by her sister Beverly (Arthur) Johansen.  They have fourteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Bette and her brothers Thomas and James.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, September 2, 2022 at Lakeview 8th Ward Chapel on 155 West 1600 South, Orem, UT 84058.  There will be a viewing prior to the services at the church from 9:30-10:30 am.  Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.  Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.

For those unable to attend the services they can be viewed Friday at 11 a.m. at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7noaYaqj3I