Barbara Lee Delano, 65, of Salem died on Aug. 23 in Troutdale after a six-year battle with cancer.
She was born in Lebanon to Lee and Edith Slater on Aug. 30, 1942.
She lived in Oregon most of her life except for seven years when she lived in Colorado during a job transfer with Amerigas Propane Co.
She graduated from Detroit High School and then attended business school in Salem. When her children were teenagers, she attended Linn-Benton Community College to work on an accounting degree.
She married Lloyd Bowers in 1960. They had four children. They later divorced. She married Max Delano in 1983. they were together until his death from cancer in July.
Mrs. Delano worked in accounting for many years, and she was comptroller for Amerigas Propane Co. After retiring from the propane company, she moved back to Oregon where she worked for Cascade Paving in Salem.
She later moved back to Sweet Home and worked for Morse Brothers until her retirement in 2004 due to illness.
She had many talents, including sewing, cooking and crocheting. She loved to prepare food for large family gatherings, and everyone was made to feel welcome and at ease in her home. Her love of cooking is what prompted her to create a cookbook filled with family recipes just for her children. She also enjoyed reading, traveling and gardening.
She loved her family and do whatever she could for both family and friends. She had a sense of humor and loved story telling.
She is survived by her son, Bill Bowers of Salem; daughters, Susan Anderson of Troutdale, Julie Erikson of Fairview and Kelly McClain of Keizer; stepchildren, Carl Delano, Gary Delano, Linda McCain and Sherry Kay Purcella; mother; brother, Phillip Slater of Crawfordsville; eight grandchildren; and a niece.
She was preceded in death by her father in 2004 and her husband on July 6.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, at Sweet Home Evangelical Church, 1347 Long St.
Memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society.