Obituaries — March 27, 2024

Barbara Clare Wieseman (née Wightman)

May 7, 1928 – February 22, 2024

Walk in beauty. Walk in peace. These actions express Barbara Wieseman’s essence. She was a lifelong learner and free thinker who believed in the inherent worth and dignity of each human being — like her father Clair Smith Wightman and one of her role models, Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom she had the opportunity to interact at the Encampment for Citizenship. Barbara believed in building bridges between peoples of the world and would exchange peace pins with locals in the many countries she visited.

Barbara Wieseman arrived in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula in 1992, after having lived 20 years in the Washington DC metropolitan area and 12 years in Caracas, Venezuela. As a retiree, she directed her endless zest for life into many interests: membership in the Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; walking or biking daily for 5-6 miles in her rural neighborhood; hiking with the Klahhane Hiking Club; attending mindful movement classes in yoga, Tai Chi, the Feldenkrais Method®; singing and competing internationally with a local chapter of Sweet Adelines; hosting SERVAS travelers; participating in book clubs; and completing a master gardener course.

Originally from a New Jersey bedroom community to New York City, Barbara broadened her horizons as an undergraduate student in psychology at Oberlin College. After graduation, she returned to Ridgewood/Glen Rock, New Jersey, started a teaching career and concurrently completed a master’s degree in education at Columbia University.

Her openness to life experiences and adventurous spirit, self-image as a world citizen, and keen interest in learning about people and cultures led her, throughout her life, to participate in square dancing and folk dancing groups; international cultural and peace groups such as SERVAS and American Soviet peace projects; host international visitors; travel in much of western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and the American Southwest. Also to marry immigrant Helmut Wieseman [née Spartak Jordanov] in 1956 after meeting him at an international young adult group. In 1959, Helmut was offered an impressive professional opportunity so the family (including 1 ½ year old Katherine and 1 month old Carol) moved to Caracas, Venezuela. For Barbara, the challenges abounded – she did not speak Spanish, her only support was from her husband, Americans were not always favorably regarded, consistent electricity and water were not givens, and she had no phone in the home until 1970. In 1961, third daughter Linda was born. During the Venezuelan years Barbara resumed teaching in 1969 – grade 4 at the international school Escuela Campo Alegre. When not teaching, parenting or being a wife, she enjoyed performing in the international community’s musical theatre, studying and playing piano, taking an afternoon siesta in a beachside recliner at Club Puerto Azul, relaxing at the swimming pool with a good book, and serving as a Girl Scout troop leader.

The family transplanted to the Washington DC area in 1972. After a couple of years, Barbara resumed teaching – grade 7 at Langley School in McLean, Virginia. Her love of teaching emphasized experiential learning and creativity. For example, she included cuisine and culture in sociology world studies units, a field trip to an aircraft carrier, and a visit to Annapolis in the oceanography unit. Barbara occasionally accompanied Helmut on his World Bank work trips – visiting Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Morocco and Eastern Europe – and joined him on trips he undertook starting 1987 to find out about his countries of origin, ancestry and family in the former USSR and Bulgaria. She also traveled with her daughters, who share her passion for cultural interchange. She was an active member in the World Bank Wives, AAUW, and a Consciousness Frontiers group. She swam, played tennis, walked, participated in book groups, enjoyed the family pets, regularly visited her mother Florence Wightman (née Becker) and sister Carol Watkins (née Wightman) in Muncie, Indiana as well as extended family in Rochester, New York.

Barbara embraced an earth-friendly and wholistic health lifestyle everywhere she lived. Being in nature nourished her spirit. Her many outdoor adventures included hiking the Appalachian Trail, learning to downhill ski, mountaineering in the Colorado Rockies, canoeing, bike riding and backpacking. One of her favorite memories was an arduous 25 mile backpack trip in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness at age 58 with daughters Katherine and Linda.

Barbara lived a full life and will be fondly remembered by family and friends. She will continue to be an inspiration, especially for her daughters.

She is survived by her daughters Katherine Wieseman (Sequim, WA), Carol Wieseman (Newport News, VA) and Linda Wieseman (Santa Fe, NM); her sister Carol Watkins (Yorktown, IN); nephews James Watkins (Port Ludlow, WA) and Stephen Watkins (Muncie, IN); and cousins Fred Becker (Cle Ellum, WA), Bob Becker (Arvada, CO) and John Becker (Rochester, NY).

Celebration of Life planned for 11:00 AM on May 7, 2024 at the Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1033 N Barr Rd, Port Angeles. For more information about virtual and in-person options email barbaratimsplace@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Global Humanity Initiative, Volunteer Hospice, SERVAS, Sierra Club, American Association of University Women.

Steven Hoveskeland

June 11, 1945 – February 12, 2024

Steven M. Hoveskeland passed peacefully with loved ones by his side on February 12th, 2024. Born at Devils Lake, North Dakota in 1945, he stayed in North Dakota until he graduated from Svea High School. Steve moved to Port Angeles, Washington to raise a family in 1966 and made a career as a precision sheet metal worker, and most proudly, as a teacher with many apprentices. Fishing is the passion that led him to the northwest. He is survived by his widow, four children, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Patricia Ann Finley

Patricia Ann Finley of Sequim died of age-related causes at Sherwood Assisted Living on March 10, 2024.

She was 93.

Finley was born Oct. 20, 1930.

Per her wishes, no services will be held.

Sign an online guestbook for the family at drennanford.com.

Peter Roy Van Rossen

Peter Roy Van Rossen of Sequim died at Sequim Health & Rehab on March 20.

A local teacher and swim coach, he was 73

Van Rossen was born Jan. 8, 1951.

A funeral is scheduled for noon on April 3 at Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Port Angeles.

A complete obituary will be published soon.