by Philip R. Devlin (nephew)

Barbara Caroline Cooper was one of 6 children born to William and Hilda (Lind) Cooper of the Warehouse Point section of East Windsor, CT. Born on September 10, 1921, she was the second oldest in her family. (My mother, Audrey, was the oldest.) Her lifelong nickname was "Bobbie." The Cooper children and their mother faced a daunting task after Bobbie's father, William Henry Cooper, was stricken with a heart attack on the bridge connecting Warehouse Point with Windsor Locks on January 27, 1935, and died in the middle of the Great Depression.

Aunt Bobbie distinguished herself in high school, graduating as the valedictorian of her class at Ellsworth High School in 1939. Her academic achievement manifested itself again when she took the Coast Guard aptitude test, as she achieved one of the highest scores in the United States. Bobbie became a SPAR in the Coast Guard. SPAR is a clever acronym for the Latin motto of the Coast Guard--Semper PARatus ("always prepared"). The word, of course, has a natural nautical connection.

SPARS came into being as a result of legislation signed by President Roosevelt in November of 1942. Initially, only white women were accepted but later five women of color were admitted to the unit. Aunt Bobbie was sent to Hawaii for duty. There she met her future husband, Paul Calhoun, from New Mexico who served as a Pharmacist's Mate. While in Hawaii, Bobbie attempted to keep tabs on the welfare of her brother, Bill Cooper, who was living dangerously as a forward observer with the 4th Marine Division. Her first cousin, Edgar Cooper, was also serving in the Pacific in the Navy, and she occasionally got to see him (see photo in the "Gallery"). She was thrilled to have her picture taken with former heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey (see "Gallery").

After the war, Aunt Bobbie married Paul Calhoun and settled down in southern California to raise their two children, Paula and Steve. She had an enviable work ethic to complement her sharp intellect and was a valued employee wherever she worked.

Barbara Calhoun, a woman of great integrity, died on December 29, 2012 at the age of 91.

Please Note: If you scroll to the top, you will see a tab in the red bar called "Memorials." If you highlight this tab, a drop down box will appear and at the bottom there will be an option called "Your Memorials." You can then choose another memorial to read. Most of those listed knew each other well or were related to each other or came from the same hometown.

If you click on the “Gallery” tab, you have the option of making each photo much bigger by clicking on individual photos and then by clicking “View Full image.” After you do that, the image may be partially obscured at the bottom. Go to the top left of that bottom section and click on the white rectangle to dock that bottom section to the side. This will reveal a much bigger image. Use the back arrow to get out of the Gallery and back to the memorial site.

Barbara (Cooper) Calhoun U.S. Coast Guard Spar in World War II