Barbara Elizabeth DeForest

     Barbara Elizabeth DeForest was born on 21 October 1942. She was the daughter of Robert Theodore DeForest and Sylvia Barrett. As of 6 June 1962,her married name was Adams. Barbara Elizabeth DeForest married Johnathon Adrain Adams on 6 June 1962. Barbara Elizabeth DeForest married Rev Jeffrey C Wilson in 1974. Barbara Elizabeth DeForest Barbara DeForest Adams Wilson, of South Portland passed away
unexpectedly April 18th. She was 65. She was born in Norwalk, CT, the
only daughter of Robert T. and Sylvia B. DeForest. She grew up in
Darien, CT. She attended Hindley school, graduated from Darien High
School in 1961 and attended Vassar College.

Barbara had an incredible sense of elegance. She took pride in the
aesthetic delight of her home and enjoyed being surrounded by beauty.
In addition, she created beauty with an artful eye for photography and
a variety of textile arts. She loved to read and was particularly fond
of the emotional magic of poetry. Barbara was a loving mother who
embraced not only her children but their spouses and more. Barbara
became a host mother to a young woman from the Ukraine, Nadia. It
wasn't long before Nadia, too, was calling Barbara Mom. Through Nadia,
Barbara met a host of young people. One young man, in particular, Josh
Gosselin, also became an important part of the Wilson family. She was
a devoted friend who took the time to stay in touch with friends she'd
made since childhood. She adored being a grandmother and took delight
in her very special brand of "Mima mischief."

Barbara overcame tremendous hardship in her life. She was widowed as a
young mother of two by her first husband, Jack Adams (1969). She met
and married Jeffery Wilson and they both battled Hodgkins Disease at a
time when treatment was largely experimental. Barbara beat the odds
yet again when she gave birth to her third child, Sarah. Barbara was
widowed again in 2000 when Jeffery Wilson passed away after a long
illness. She was his caretaker and soul mate until the very end. She
was determined to live her life to the fullest and became an
"international woman of mystery." Barbara began to travel abroad and
her friendships continued to flourish and span the globe.

Barbara followed her heart and embraced each new experience. As a
child, she and her father built the Kacklescobie a small row
boat/skiff, in which she spent much of her summer rowing down Stony
Brook through Gorham's Pond to Long Island Sound. She did this at the
ripe age of 12. More recently, she travelled to Luxembourg, Italy,
England and Ukraine. Last year, Barbara took the 'trip of a lifetime'
to Russia. Accompanied by her adopted daughter, Nadia, Barbara
travelled the narrow river to Saint Petersburg, Russia and had the
opportunity to see the places she always dreamt of seeing. Of course,
she brought home pictures and gifts to share with her beloved family.

But even now, life was not without difficulties. She worked hard to
maintain a healthy lifestyle keeping her diabetes under control. She
had a freak car accident in her adorable yellow beetle, Rubber Ducky.
Amazingly, she walked away with only a bruise from her seatbelt.
Rubber Ducky was totalled.

She began to visit her mother Sylvia in Darien on a regular basis.
Being in her childhood home gave her solace. Watching her mothers'
slow steady decline was very difficult. Sylvia passed away in 2005.

She was thrilled when Andrew and Cindy moved to Brunswick. Her family
was together. She loved hosting Sunday afternoons and being together
with everyone. For her it was a happy time.

In 2006, Barbara faced the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer.
Although she thought it was more than she could possibly bear, Barbara
faced the whirlwind of painful surgeries with the same grace and
dignity for which she was known.

This past summer, upon her return from Russia, Barbara developed a
terrible case of pneumonia. As she recovered and slowly regained her
strength, she seemed invincible.

Barbara had been feeling very well of late. She was delighted about
the arrival of spring and had a busy social schedule. She particularly
enjoyed her cooking adventures with her granddaughter, Maggie. She
looked forward to her trips to Brunswick to see her children Andrew
and Cindy and see Chateau le Coq and all the goings on. She even
entertained the idea of raising a chicken of her own on the balcony.

Barbara is survived by her children Jonathan Adams of Tokyo, Japan;
Andrew Wilson and his wife Cindy of Brunswick, ME; Sarah Rimkunas and
her husband Tony and granddaughter Maggie of Gorham, ME and her many
friends. A Memorial service will be held at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230
Cottage Road, South Portland, Thursday at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the
family asks a donation be made to The Center for Grieving Children, PO
Box 1438, Portland, ME 04104. on 18 April 2008. She died on 18 April 2008 at Portland, ME, at age 65.