Barbara Chomica (née Roth)

On a quiet Monday in May, Barbara Chomica slipped away as gently as she lived: humble, truthful, and fearless to the end.

Born in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany, on a summer Sunday in 1978, Barbara spent a lifetime curious about the world and how it worked. She studied computer science in Germany and went on to work in the high-tech industry for more than two decades—a field she approached with intellect, integrity, and an eagerness to keep learning.

But Barbara’s knowledge didn’t stay in neat boxes. She wandered widely—through cybersecurity, emergency management, tour directing, and beyond. She gathered skills the way others gather souvenirs: thoughtfully, and with a sense of wonder.

She spent ten rich years in Kimberley, BC, exploring the Kootenays and the U.S., sometimes on her little motorcycle, before the garden rooted her more deeply at home. It was the greatest gift, she often said, to work remotely in a place where others come for vacation. In that peace, she found space to learn how to cook and bake—bringing the world to her home with every lovingly made dish: clafoutis, farinata, Tuscan walnut muffins, tagine. Her food was never flashy, but it always had a story.

She shared her life with her beloved husband Jim, whom she married on a foggy day—an omen they both found romantic rather than foreboding. Together, they built a life rich in books, laughter, and quiet companionship, always with their two grey furballs, Masha and Cosmo, at the center of it all. The cats understood moods, read the room, and showed their personalities as clearly as any person.

Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Hanna and Michael. She is survived by Jim, and by her brothers Wolfgang, Thomas, and Michael, all in Germany.

She left the world better than she found it—not through fanfare, but through presence. She asked good questions, offered honest answers, and didn’t shy away from difficult truths. She will be remembered for her courage, her clarity, and her deeply grounded way of loving the people (and creatures) lucky enough to be in her circle.

mcphersonfh.com

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