Barbara Rumrill Dahn, 69, of Cazenovia, lived a dozen or so lives during her time on earth. She passed away Saturday, May 30, 2020, peacefully, in her sleep, and, we trust, laughing in her dreams.
Born in 1950 in Gloversville, N.Y., she grew up surrounded by creativity and intellectual curiosity. Her mother, Mary, was a respected watercolorist of the Adirondack region. Her father, Donald, was a union plumber who became a noted self-taught archeologist. Her late brother, Donald, became an aerospace engineer.
With Eric Dahn, her husband with whom she spent 35 years, she raised Tristan and Curtis. She passed on her courage to her sons, teaching them to stand for what they believed and nurturing them as they explored their passions and defined their dreams. She was an active member of her town Democratic Committee. As Associate Director of CSTEP at Cazenovia College she generously mentored to and advocated for under-represented students, making every resource available, from academic tutoring to a weekend in her home. As a friend, she gave generously of her infectious optimism and unbridled joy.
In her 50s she graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. After retiring, Barb took up her passion as a visual artist. She left nothing offered untasted, no adventure that came her way untried. Want to see her Woodstock ticket? She still carried it. Don’t know about her treks in the Himalayas? See her incredible photography. A lifelong love of skiing and the mountains took her to Europe multiple times to teach young athletes. As an offshore sailor, she sailed the world’s oceans with friends from many different countries. Whether she was cursing an albatross on a nonstop passage from Panama to Alaska, repairing a toilet she broke while crossing the equator or falling through a rotted hatch in Guatemala, Barb always laughed.
She is survived by her son, Curtis, of Berkeley, California, his wife, Sarah Trist, and their three-year-old son, Juna; her son, Tristan, of Philadelphia and his partner, Enrica; her sister-in-law, Lynn, of Apalachin, N.Y.; her niece, Jane, of Salem, MA, and her partner, Ryan. She is preceded in death by her husband, Eric.
A private burial was held at Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, N.Y. When conditions allow, a public celebration of her life will be held.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Doctors without Borders. Birnbaum funeral service Inc. had arrangements.
