Barbara Waller Kudravetz died July 25 at Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge, in Charlottesville, Va. She was 98.

For nearly 50 years, Barbara and her husband George spent summers on the Vineyard at their home on Beach Road across from the hospital. She swam in the ocean in front of their house, usually by herself, often several times a day, in good weather, and not-so-good, until last summer. She spent her days on the Vineyard reading, tending to her flowers while George was fishing, volunteering at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, and visiting with her neighbors and friends.

Barbara was born Sept. 27, 1921, in Wichita, Kan., to DeWitt Lamar and Susan (Buckner) Waller. She grew up in Enid, Okla., where her parents were both high school teachers, and her father the high school principal, then superintendent of schools. Her lifelong love of swimming began when she was a lifeguard at the Enid Municipal swimming pool.

She attended Gulf Park College and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She met her husband of 75 years George Kudravetz when he was a dashing young Army Air Corps flight instructor in Enid during World War II. They married May 21, 1943, and soon after, George was posted to Caserta, Italy for the duration of the war. When the war ended, Barbara was one of the first spouses to travel to the former war zone, joining George and living in Vienna, Austria, during the Allied occupation. Their stories and remembrances from that period are remarkable today. They were truly a part of America’s Greatest Generation.

Before returning to the U.S. at age 26, Barbara had lived in or visited Vienna, Bucharest, Paris, Berlin, Rome, London, Copenhagen and Prague. During George’s career in the Air Force, they lived not only in Vienna, Austria, but also in Bucharest, Romania after World War II; in Sumter, S.C., Monterey and Riverside, Calif., Dayton, Ohio, Wiesbaden, Germany, and Arlington, Va.

She obtained a real estate license while living in Arlington. After graduating with a master’s in library science from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., she was a librarian at Marymount College (now university) and the Madeira School. She was a White House volunteer in the office of First Lady’s Correspondence during the Clinton Administration, answering Hillary Clinton’s mail, a volunteer job she particularly enjoyed. She was also a volunteer at the Kennedy Center library in Washington, D.C. She was a 75-year member of Chapter T Arlington, then Chapter AQ Charlottesville, of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philanthropic and educational organization, in which she held many offices.

On the Vineyard she participated in Chapter AN Edgartown. In Arlington, she was a member of The Falls Church (Episcopal), and in Charlottesville, of First United Methodist Church.

In addition to their summer house on the Vineyard they also built a weekend home in Albemarle County near Earlysville, so they could attend countless UVA athletic events over the years, as faithful fans of their sons’ alma mater, and to be able to visit with their granddaughter, Julia.

In retirement, Barbara and George moved in 2004 to WCBR in Charlottesville. She enjoyed numerous meaningful friendships over her long life — she loved her friends and they loved her in return. Being an involved grand-mamma to Julia and Tyler also brought her much joy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband George in 2019, and her sister Marilyn (Waller) Rothe. She is survived by her sons, David Waller Kudravetz and his spouse McCrea of Earlysville, Va, and James Douglas Kudravetz and his spouse Janet of Arlington, Va.; her two beloved granddaughters, Julia McCrea Kudravetz and Tyler Frances Marcela Kudravetz and her fiancé Brad Zacchero; her sister in law Roie Kudravetz; and many nieces and nephews, including her namesake, Barbara Rothe.

A time of remembrance will be held at Westminster-Canterbury at a later date, due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Private interment next to her husband will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

Donations can be made to the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation 57 David Ave, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or to the Vineyard Haven Public Library 200 Main St, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.

Family can be contacted at P.O. Box 162 Earlysville, VA 22936.