BARBARA DEIBERT CHINN
1921-2023
102 YEARS YOUNG

Our amazing Mother, Barbara Deibert Chinn, passed away November 14th listening to Christmas carols and with the prayers of many friends and family. She moved throughout her full and inspirational lifetime with grace, compassion, and love. Our Mom could do anything.

She was just as happy sitting at a sewing machine, fixing a meal, riding her horse, or sitting next to Alton in their covered wagon on a trail ride. She learned to fish, hunt and ski from her father, George Deibert, and to cook, sew, knit, preserve food and garden from her mother, Winifred Deibert. She had a pioneer heart, taking on the role of a Navy Specialist WWII, Home Economist, Teacher/Administrator, Poet (she wrote poems for events in her life) and Adventurer.

Barbara was born in Los Angeles on July 26, 1921, and arrived in Bishop in 1925 with her parents George and Winifred Deibert. Her father had purchased The Bishop Drug (there is a mural of Barbara, as a teenager, and George on Dwayne’s Pharmacy) after graduating from USC School of Pharmacy. Before moving to Bishop, the family (including six-month-old sister, Kathryn) made a trip to Alaska by train to Seattle and sailing to Skagway.

Barbara caught the wanderlust for travel from this trip and would return to Alaska in 1963, and later traveled to Netherlands, China, Italy, France, Mexico and to almost every state in the United States.

Barbara thrived in the Bishop Grammar/High School. She was most proud of her Block B letter and that she was the first girl to compete on the boys tennis team. She also competed in the first Eastern Sierra ski meet at McGee Creek, winning a third-place medal.

In 1939, she graduated from BUHS and months later took a train to Mill College, Oakland. With the war spreading, she moved to the UCLA campus and wrote “All of the young men were in or entering the various military services. My father served in WWI. I had no brothers and felt it was my duty to serve the USA, so I joined the WAVES”.

At the end of the war, Barbara, returned to Bishop and married her handsome Navy pilot sweetheart, Alton. Mr. and Mrs. Chinn set out for the adventure of a lifetime. Alton’s career was pharmacy and Barbara’s was education and later high school Dean. After retiring, she enjoyed teaching so much that she signed up to be a substitute teacher at Bishop Elementary.

With retirement came the opportunity to truly enjoy Bishop and her Sierra/White Mountain Ranges. Barbara and Alton participated in every outdoor activity possible: rode horses, drove a team of mules, took pack trips, skied.

Community activities were also important: Masons, Eastern Star, Civil Air Patrol. Barbara also enjoyed women’s groups: Athena, United Methodist Women, Eastern Star and as Advisor for Rainbow Girls.

Barbara leaves her loving memory to her children and their spouses Patricia Schlichting, Jim Chinn and Cathryn, Natalie Gelatt and Paul and an extended family of grand and great grandchildren Carly Gelatt, Kai Gelatt, Caitlin Goshgarian and Jameson Goshgarian.  Additionally, the Deibert/Chinn clan surrounds Barbara with love.

A gravesite ceremony celebrating Barbara will be held on December 2 at 1:00 p.m. in the East Line Cemetery.
“Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories” – Anonymous