Barbara J. Champion

The great warm, open, and loving heart that was Barbara Champion finally completed its task and stopped on the morning of Friday, December 28, 2018. She was 89 years and 6 months old, having been born to Walter and Ethel Thomas on June 23, 1929, in Monmouth, IL. She spent her youth in the Burlington, IA, area.

Barbara married Charles R. Walstrom in 1947 and toured the Mid-West co-producing and participating in local musical drama theater in small towns. She raised her four children in Iowa and in New Mexico. She worked as an office manager, a secretary, and later a Management Aide at Sandia National Laboratories for 24 years. In 1970, she married Roscoe L. Champion. After retirement she embarked on her most rewarding career of 37 years as co-owner (with Champ) of Champion Enterprises, their Shaklee Distributorship; providing a healthier life for many.

Her great passion was singing in the Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church, in Albuquerque, singing there for more than 40 years. Some of her proudest achievements were playing "Buttercup" in HMS Pinafore, and organizing and singing in an alto trio called The Altones. Barbara was President of the Women Entrepreneurs organization, at its peak.

She and her husband, Champ, relished every moment of their lives together in which they traveled the world with great anticipation and delight. Together they set foot in 42 countries with memories of them all – and a few thousand photographs.

Barbara is survived by her husband of 48 years, Roscoe L. Champion; children, Stephanie (Tony) Williams, Chuck (Cheryl) Walstrom, Tom (Suzanne) Walstrom; step-children, Kyle (Elizabeth) Champion, Darryl (Sharon) Champion, Kimberly Champion; 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and her remaining sister, Sherrill (Bruno) Silli. She was preceded by her parents; her son, John E. Walstrom; her brother, Kenneth Thomas; and her sisters, Parolee Steffener, Rosalee Hawk, Alice Dunn, and Marilyn Budelier.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 305 Coal Ave SW, Albuquerque. Rev. Jon Moore and Rev. David Okerberg will officiate. A reception will immediately follow the service in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to attend and share their memories of how Barbara Champion impacted their lives. It will be a rich time of sharing. Barbara will be laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Park.

Since music and singing were such a vital part of her life, she has requested that you consider contributions to the Chancel Choir FUMC in her honor, in lieu of flowers.