Barbara D. Michael

January 17, 1942 ~ June 18, 2023
Resided in:
Scarborough , Maine
Scarborough - Barbara Hilliard Dunlap Michael, the daughter of the late Barbara A. and Walter M. Dunlap Jr, was born in Lancaster Pennsylvania on January 17, 1942. She died at home in Scarborough, Maine on June 18, 2023, of natural causes. She attended the Lancaster Country Day School and graduated from The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York. She graduated from Smith College with high honors and pursued graduate studies in urban planning at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
She lived for many years in West Hollywood, California where she met her mentor, Tara Singh, and where she worked at the Joseph Plan Foundation in support of his mission. It was there she met her husband, Richard Michael. Their marriage ended in divorce.
She moved to Maine in 2001 to provide care and companionship for her mother at Piper Shores and likewise assisted other residents. Her modest home in Higgins Beach offered her peace and solitude and the loved opportunity to walk the ocean shores.
She was predeceased by a sister, Mary A. Dunlap. She is survived by her brother, Walt Dunlap and his wife Cynthia Barnett of Freeport; and by her nephews, Aaron Williams of Spring, Texas and Alex Gonyaw of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Plans for a memorial service are pending.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Friends School of Portland, 11 US Route 1, Cumberland Foreside, Maine 04110; Good Shepherd Food Bank, PO Box 1807, Auburn, Maine 04211; Preble Street, 55 Preble Street, Portland, Maine 04101; MOFGA, PO Box 170, Unity, Maine 04988. Seeds of Peace, 370 Lexington Ave, suite 201, New York, New York 10017.
We met working to end hunger with the Los Angeles End Hunger Event in the early 80’s and have been friends ever since.
I met Barbara in 2005, through the Friends Meeting in Portland, Maine. She became a special friend helping me to care for my husband who was dying from ALS. After his death she was part of a group of Friends women who gathered to care for me. Our walks along the beach, and conversations over lunch and laughs everywhere brought nurturing replenishment to my bereaved soul. She meant the world to me, and, our remembered times together will always be a part of me. Deep bows of gratitude to Barbara.
Walk on the Beach at Higgins. Sort of glad she missed this latest storm. She would have been sad to see the erosion all along the coast.
Seriously organized, in love with nature and wanting to learn everything she could about it.
We met at Friends Meeting where she was very active for a few years — a great addition. But for Barbara not so compelling as her time with Singh. Soon she was very busy translating his work so she could share it with others.