Barbara Sloggett Obituary

Our dear wife, mother, grandmother, great grand-mother, Nana, Barbara, Doctor Barbara, and dear friend to everyone who knew her, peacefully passed away at home.

Born in Portland, OR, Barbara spent her formative years there, and then attended the University of Washington. Her sorority roommate, Sally Sloggett, invited Barbara to visit her home on Kauai that next summer, and during that visit Sally not only introduced Barbara to the islands but also to her brother, Richard Sloggett. A flurry of letters between Dick in Hawaii and Barbara back at school in Washington followed, and progressed to their marriage in Portland in 1955. Back in Hawaii they raised their three children Richard, III, Sheri, and Charles.

In 1965 Barbara resumed her education at the University of Hawaii and took the few remaining courses she needed to earn her Bachelor's degree in psychology. With a passion for knowledge she obtained a Master's Degree and then a PhD Degree in clinical psychology in 1972. During her research for her MS and PhD degrees she published more than 20 scientific notes, papers, and chapters.

With a license to practice clinical psychology Barbara opened her Behavior Therapy Clinic in Kahala Mall. After the rigors of her PhD research and the opening of her clinic, she and Dick found time to travel, visit nature preserves in Africa, raft down the Grand Canyon, and enjoy other adventures.

Her thriving clinic blossomed into a very successful practice that allowed Dick to pursue his life-long love of fishing, and he became captain of a commercial charter boat. Meanwhile, Barbara grew professionally and was elected to serve in various positions in the professional psychology associations.

Barbara also gained stature in the community and the governor appointed her to serve on the Board of the
'Imi Ho'ola program that provides opportunities for underprivileged students to attend medical school, and the Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse.

At the University of Hawaii she became a Clinical Affiliate in the Psychology Department and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Psychiatry Department. With the passage of time and different interests, Barbara the clinician and Dick the commercial fisherman drifted apart, and amicably divorced, but remained good friends and visited often.

Throughout her life Barbara was an avid athlete who participated in many swimming, jogging and biking events, and often finished in the top five in her age group in spite of having had polio as a child.

Among her colleagues in the Behavior Therapy clinic was Ed Kubany, PhD, who had been a fellow graduate student in the Psychology Department at U.H., and with whom Barbara published much of their research. They were briefly married, bicycled around New Zealand's South Island, and ran several marathons together.

In 1995 Barbara began dating George Read, PhD, an emeritus professor in the University Of Hawaii School Of Medicine, beginning 28 more years of adventures. That year they swam as teammates in the Lanai-to-Lahaina channel race, and next year they sailed around the Society Islands in a private sailboat, took cruises to Alaska, and twice to the Midway Islands to see the nesting and then hatched gooney birds.

On an around-the-world cruise in 2000 they were ceremonially married on Antarctica, and in 2003 they visited Copper Canyon in Mexico, rode in the Concorde from New York to London at Mach 2, and cruised on canal boats in Sweden and France.
Barbara learned to fly and then shared the flying duties in George's airplane on their weekly flights to and from his home on Molokai, where they were legally married in 2009.

Other adventures were to sail around the Caribbean in a tall mast sailing ship, ocean cruises to Alaska and the Arctic Ocean, study in a Buddhist Retreat in Tassahara Hot Springs, cruise on the Amazon and Danube Rivers, and observe the Dragons on Komodo Island.

In 2018 Barbara was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia but wanted to continue seeing her dear clients although with a declining work-load. A proud event for her was when her daughter, Sheri, became a colleague in her clinic.

Barbara finally had to retire in 2020, but over her 48 year career she helped several thousand clients deal with their personal issues, and they invariably became dear friends.

As Barbara became progressively disabled by the relentless advance of her cancer, her children and close friends increased the frequency of their visits to be with her as much as possible. Throughout her illness she maintained her cheerful demeanor and was always a joy to be around.

Sadly, the cancer took her from us, but in her own bed as she wanted it to be. We can find some solace that she no longer has to suffer anymore, however we are left to endure our great loss. She was a wonderful lady who was loved by all who knew her, and will be missed tremendously.

Her final act of love was to continue her humanitarian work by donating her body for education and research. When that final chapter is completed, her ashes will be returned and she will be welcomed home to eternal rest.

Barbara was preceded in death by her father, Harold Burkitt, her mother, Eleanor Holman Burkitt, and her brother, Harold Holman Burkitt. She is survived by her husband, George Read, children, Richard Sloggett III, Sheri Sloggett-Shanks, Charles Sloggett (Margie), grandchildren Nicholas (Grace) and Whitney Sloggett, Summer and Blake Shanks, Christopher and Chad Sloggett (Taylor), two great grandchildren, and step children Gregory Read, Lani Read (deceased), and Bonnie (nee Read) Smith.

A private celebration of Barbara's life will be held in her honor. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to The Nature Conservancy and Navian Hospice Care.