Barbara Jane (Tichenor) Talmadge passed away on March 23rd, 2023 at the age of 98. She was born in Southern California in 1925 to George and Huldah Tichenor. In 1943 she married James Talmadge (nee Joseph Keaton) becoming the daughter-in-law of comedian Buster Keaton and spent many evenings playing bridge with him. While her husband was in training in the OSS in 1943 Barbara worked at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. Their first child arrived a few months before the war ended and by 1956, they had four children, Jim Talmadge (Elizabeth), Michael Talmadge (Rosemary), Melissa Talmadge Cox (Bill) and Mark Talmadge. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, her son, Jim and her grandson, Dustin.
Barbara was very involved with community events and her children’s education. Before PonyTail league existed, she was the 1st woman coach in Santa Monica Boy’s Little League. She was Vice President of the Assistance League of Santa Monica in the 60’s. When she and Jim moved to Lake Tahoe, she was the first woman Fire Commissioner and held the post for eight years. When they moved to the Santa Ynez Valley, she became a real estate broker and was president of the Santa Ynez Association of Realtors. This led to a position of State Director of the California Association of Realtors.
She loved the Sierra Nevada mountains and Jim and Barbara ran a resort in Tahoma, Lake Tahoe, for 10 years. Yosemite was also a regular vacation spot where her family camped when she was growing up. When she was 10, she pushed the ball of fire off Glacier Point for the firefall. Barbara loved to cook, and when she was 69, she applied for the position of cook at the May Lake High Sierra Camp in Yosemite and worked there for three summers. There she would live in a tent for 2 1/2 months cooking for 40 people twice a day without electricity and no fresh dairy products. All food and kitchen materials were brought up by mule to the camp at 9200’ in the Sierra Nevada. She spent many summers at Merced Lake High Sierra Camp where she became known as the Maven of Merced. When she made her Fiesta dinner workers from all over the high camps hiked miles to join in the revelry.
Barbara started playing tennis at the age of 11 and won her first tournament at age 13. She rallied with Billie Jean King, Rod Laver and Carol Graebner and was an official umpire for center court at the L.A. Tennis Club. She continued playing competitive tennis throughout her life and at the age of 77 she and her partner won the Super Senior Doubles Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells, CA. She continued playing until she was 86.
For the last 8 years she lived in Cloverdale with her daughter and family and made many friends in the community. She leaves behind her three children, eight grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She was dearly loved and will be missed by all who knew her.
