Terri Lynn Barlow Major
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Terri (Barlow) Major, 68, of Bremerton, passed away after a long battle with chronic illness on September 4. Terri was born in 1952 in Longview, WA to parents John and Grace (Jack) Barlow. She graduated from R.A. Long High in 1970 and married Robert Major in 1972. She ran small businesses while raising her children and returned to education in 1993. She earned two Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the UW and completed all of the work for her Doctorate except for her dissertation. She taught English at UW, Pierce, and Olympic College, earned tenure and ran the Writing Center at OC, and retired in 2017.
Terri loved beauty. She grew prize-winning roses and bred show cats, won awards for her knitting and designed patterns, played three instruments and sang, read extensively, and enjoyed genealogy. She had a thirst for learning and for igniting a love of learning in others. She will be remembered as unfailingly kind: a supporter of anyone who needed it. She was involved in Girl Scouts, church choir, Port Orchard Knitter's Retreat, and Kitsap Knitter's Guild, and was a ferocious Words with Friends opponent.
Terri was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband Robert; children Ian (Cheryl) Major, Phil Major, Matthew (Tamara) Dornberger, Jessica (Alex) Lawrence, and Beth (Ron) Mauldin; siblings John (Kerry) Barlow and Laura (Dean Shutt) Barlow; grandchildren Ronnie Lou, Isabelle, Elizabeth, Eowyn, and Gabriel; and enjoyed gathering with extended family annually. An online Celebration of Life will be held on September 19 at 4 pm, with a memorial service to be held when restrictions are lifted. Terri requested that donations in her memory be made to the Students in Need Group of the Olympic College Foundation, 1600 Chester Ave., Bldg. 5, CSC 530, Bremerton, WA 98337 (note SING - tribute gift in the memo), or online at https://olympiccollegefoundation.org/giving/give-now/ - designation "other" and "SING." Arrangements entrusted to Lewis Chapel.