Barbara Rotter-Ryan

Barbara Ann Rotter-Ryan was born in Gregory, South Dakota, on February 24, 1947, to Jerome Vincent and Mae Belle Rotter. Jerome and Mae Belle would later welcome Barbara’s brothers, Jerry and Kevin, in 1948 and 1957, respectively. When Barbara was 5 years old, her family moved to California, where she lived the rest of her life. However, she remained very proud of her South Dakotan heritage and would often visit and call her extended family there. She graduated from St. Michael’s Girls High School in 1965. Barbara and Dan Ryan were married in 1969; that same year she graduated from Harbor Junior College as an R.N. They welcomed children Cyndi, Marty, Jeffrey, and Kenny in 1970, 1972, 1978, and 1982, respectively. Her kids meant everything to her, and she tirelessly dedicated herself to them. After her divorce, Barbara met her decades-long partner, Jess Paez. She and Jess made many special and loving memories together, one of which was a yearly trip to Pismo Beach to spend time with Jess’ family, a trip that she always looked forward to.

She was also incredibly proud of her German ancestry, leading her to take a leap and visit the small town of Holsen, Germany to connect with extended family there, ultimately building strong and loving relationships with them.

Barbara was a devout Catholic, dedicated nurse, and was very intent on building strong family connections. During her lifetime she worked as an R.N. for 27 years at different hospitals including St. Judes, Daniel Freeman, Fort Jackson, Chino, Pomona Valley, Inter-Community, and Queen of the Valley. She was very adamant about keeping her nursing license active even up until 2025.

She passed away on February 13, 2026, at the age of 79. Some of Barbara’s passions included spending time with family and friends, nursing, ancestry, camping, crafting, music, and dancing. Until the end of her life, she called her kids every day to tell them that she “love and liked” everyone in their families. She was a mother, a partner, a sister, an aunt, a grandmother, a cousin, an extended family member, and a friend to so many. To her grandkids, she was affectionately known as Grandma Bungy, Nana, and Munga. Her kids will remember her perseverance, stubbornness, lovingness, and sentimental personality, and we hope that those qualities live on more strongly through her family and friends.