Biography Barbara Christman Wyatt
Mrs. Wyatt, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother was ushered into heaven from her home in Boca Raton, Florida, February 24, 2013, following a long and valiant struggle with multiple myeloma.
Barbara was born August 28, 1924 in Rochester, NY to Edward and Kathleen Christman. She graduated from Cornell University, and in 1946 she married James L. Wyatt and supported his doctoral studies at MIT and his career in metallurgy and in mergers and acquisitions. They were married 64 years at his death in 2010. Their son, William, was an Air Force jet pilot who was killed in an aircraft accident in 1975.
Always devoted to her family, church, and friends, she relished the opportunity to volunteer as a Girl Scout Leader, a Sunday school teacher working with special needs children, in a hospital burn ward, and at juvenile hall. She was fondly known for her delicious chocolate chip cookies, the radiant smile which she shared with everyone she met, and her warm hugs.
Starting in 1971, Barbara began working full time with her husband in a successful hardware manufacturing business in California and continued until their retirement, when they relocated to Florida. In retirement, Barbara kept active with the Pompano Beach Sail and Power Squadron and with her church.
Despite heartache and illness, Barbara approached every day with a smile and a relentless positive attitude due to her strong faith. Her joyfulness and zeal for life left a lasting impression on everyone she knew. Her gentle spirit and joyful presence will be greatly missed.
Barbara is survived by her loving daughter and son-in-law, Lindy and Bill Scherffius in Cornelius, NC; their children, Tyler Scherffius and his wife Angie in Buena Vista, CO; and Laurel Christman Hoes and her husband Michael, and great-granddaughters Sofia Grace and Felicity Marie in Pineville, NC.