The Sisters of Providence are saddened to announce that Sr. Barbara Schamber, SP, a Sister of Providence for 62 years, passed away yesterday, Sunday, March 23, 2025, at her home on Olympia, Washington. She has served in various leadership positions for the Sisters over the years, having recently completed her latest five-year term as Provincial Leader and shepherding the Sisters into a new governance model this year.
Sr. Barbara, who served on the Board of Directors for the Providence Health System, was instrumental in the formation of the sponsorship model for Providence Ministry in 2010 and in the drafting of the Hopes and Aspiration document which still guides the Providence St. Joseph Health System. As one of the first sponsors, she dedicated herself to nurturing a ministry in which laity and religious work together and, along with others, setting the model for how the sponsorship system functions in today’s Catholic health care environment.
Sr. Barbara was deeply committed to the poor and vulnerable, highly supportive of quality education at every level and displayed a sense of justice and compassion that defined her work and inspired generations of Sisters and lay people. She showed immense care and interests in everyone she met.
The Sisters thank all Caregivers and collaborators for their prayers and support throughout the years but especially in difficult times like this.
Services will be announced at a later time.