Barbara Carter Loven Scott

March 4, 1927 – October 18, 2026

Some lives are measured in years; others in the wisdom shared, the beauty cultivated, and the love passed from one generation to the next. Barbara Carter Loven Scott was blessed with 99 years in which to do all three. A gifted educator, devoted mother, accomplished gardener, and woman of uncommon intellect, Barbara passed away on October 18, 2026, in Redmond, Washington.

Born March 4, 1927, in Colville, Washington, to Arthur and Ella Carter Loven, Barbara grew up with an enduring affection for the countryside of northeastern Washington. After graduating from Kettle Falls High School in 1944, she attended Washington State University and Olympia Secretarial School. Yet her thirst for knowledge would carry her much further.

In 1948, she married Harvey Scott, beginning a partnership rooted in family, devotion, and a shared love of home. Together they raised three children, Joyce, Lisa, and Steven. Barbara embraced motherhood wholeheartedly, serving as Steven's Cub Scout den mother and an enthusiastic 4-H horse mom for her daughters. She believed that loving children meant entering their world, encouraging their dreams, and being present for the journey.

Education became both her profession and her calling. She earned her bachelor's degree from Eastern Washington State College in 1972 and a master's degree from Gonzaga University in 1987. She taught at Fort Colville and Hofstetter elementary schools, earning recognition in 1988 as one of four statewide recipients of Gonzaga's Teacher of the Year honor.

Barbara's curiosity extended well beyond the classroom. A Mensa member, she championed gifted children and educational scholarships. She chaired the Rachel Royston Permanent Scholarship Foundation, served as president of the Stevens County Republican Women, and participated in Delta Kappa Gamma and Eastern Star. She also delighted in a challenging game of bridge.

But perhaps Barbara's happiest hours were spent at her beloved Centennial Farm in Rice, where she and Harvey lived six months each year. A gifted gardener and landscaper, she understood that beautiful things require patience, tending, and faith in what is yet to bloom. She brought that same devotion to organizing family reunions, gathering generations together and keeping cherished connections alive.

Barbara was preceded in death by Harvey and her parents. She leaves her children, Joyce Scott, Lisa Scott Hamlin, and Steven Scott; grandson Brett Pace; and granddaughters Stephanie Pace, Tiffany Pace, and Maggie Scott.

Barbara's legacy lives in the minds she awakened, the gardens she nurtured, and the family she held close. Hers was a life that planted generously, loved deeply, and left the world more beautiful.

Services

A visitation and reception will be held Monday, November 2, 2026, from noon to 2:00 p.m. at Flintoft's Funeral Home in Issaquah, Washington.

A burial service will follow Friday, November 6, 2026, at noon at IOOF Cemetery in Rice, Washington.

Memorial donations may be made to the Arthritis Foundation or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.