Barbara S. Pughe
Marriages
James M. Pughe
Obituaries
Craig Daily Press - December 15, 2012
Barbara S. Pughe 1926 - 2012
Barbara S. Pughe
Barbara S. Pughe was born May 5, 1926 in Englewood, Colorado to Rollin F. and Pearl Street. She grew up in Englewood, Colorado, graduating from Englewood High School and then attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating in 1947 with a B.S. in Home Economics. She was hired as Moffat County Home Extension Agent in 1947 and moved to Craig, Colorado where she met and married James M. Pughe. They moved to Boulder where he finished Law School at University of Colorado and they had their first daughter, Nancy. James was then stationed at El Toro Marine Air Base so their family moved to Laguna Beach, California where their second daughter, Debra was born. James and Barbara moved back to Craig and he joined the law firm of his father, George A. Pughe, and Barbara returned to the Extension Service. She taught many youth and adult classes throughout the county, prepared 5-minute radio spots for KRAI, and taught upholstery and refinishing courses at Northwest Colorado Community College during the course of 26 years.
She was a member of P.E.O., Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, Epsilon Sigma Phi Professional Honorary Association, Colorado Association of Extension Home Economists, CSU Extension Home Economics Development Committee, and Colorado Home Economics Association.
Statewide she was appointed by Governor Love to the Colorado Council for the Arts and Humanities in 1973, and became Chairperson of the Chautauqua and the Reorganization Committees; State Energy Committee Panel; the Moffat Tunnel Commission; the Northwest Travel Region Committee; the Lodging Tax Board; and the Library Resource Center State Board.
In Moffat County she was on the Women Images Board; Colorado Northwest Community College Board which she served a term as President; organized and prepared food for Moffat County Inter-Agency Luncheons and the Moffat County Ministerial Alliance; the Moffat County Arts Council; the Chamber of Commerce where she held many Committee positions; the Human Service Directory Chairperson; the Memorial Youth Center Council and Board; the Youth Recreation Club Coordinator; the Health Fair Educational Chairperson; the Moffat County Board of Health; and the Library Resource Learning Center Board. And in recent years she played a key role in the Yampa Valley Partners, a tri-county committee for long-range community development planning in the area.
Of her many honors and awards, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Extension Home Economists in 1971, was selected as Woman of the Year in 1976 by the Northwest Colorado Daily Press, was the Business and Professional Women’s - “Woman of the Year” in 1983, was celebrated in Moffat County on July 31st, 1987 as “Barbara Pughe Day” upon her retirement from the Extension Service. Then in 1990 she was elected Grand Marshall of the 44th Annual Ride N’ Tie Day Parade.
Her favorite activities were singing in the First Congregational Church Choir, and attending and supporting the many athletic events and games of her grandchildren and great-grand children. Her husband, James preceded her in death. She is survived by her sister Eleanor Noble, her daughters Nancy Loughran (James) and Debra Pughe (Jon Winet); her grandchildren Amy Peck (Kevin), Sean Loughran (Karen), Anthony Loughran (Charlotte), and Kevin Loughran; and her great-grand children Ryan, Cadence, and Paxton.
Barbara passed away after complications from a short illness. All her children and grandchildren stayed at her side celebrating her life and passage to her new life in heaven. She is greatly missed by all her family but is in our thoughts and prayers every day. In support of her accomplishments and goals a fund has been set up at Grant Mortuary that will be used for community development projects that she was particularly fond of.
