Barbara Jean Sherman, a resident of Summerfield in Tigard, died on January 20, 2026, after a brief illness. Born in Portland on July 27, 1946, to Edwin and June Cone (nee Woldt), she grew up in Eugene. After graduating from South Eugene High School in 1964, she attended Willamette University and Oregon State University before transferring to California State University, East Bay, to support her young family. She graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
Although she studied for the bar at the Northwestern School of Law in 1976-77 and worked in retail sales and as a licensed tax preparer from 1986 to 1990, her only true vocation was journalism. In 1978, she took over the magazine then known as Business Success News, serving as its editor until 1981. The publication continues today under the new name that she gave it: Oregon Business.
Her career in newspaper journalism, which would continue until a few weeks prior to her death, began in 1982, when she joined the Wilsonville Times as a reporter. The following year, she became the paper’s editor. In 1990, she joined the Wilsonville Spokesman as a reporter. She eventually served as its associate editor and editor before leaving the publication in 2000.
She went on to work as a long-serving reporter at the Tigard Times and its affiliates at Community Newspapers Incorporated (CNI), eventually becoming the editor of the King City Regal Courier. From there, she went on to report for Tigard-Tualatin Life, with her final articles appearing in the January 2026 issue of that publication.
Having spent a quarter century reporting on Tigard and its neighboring communities, Barbara was a fixture in the region’s civic life, known and respected by an entire generation of its political leaders. Among her favorite types of stories to report were profiles of people living in the area who had lived extraordinary lives, whether serving in World War II or having accomplished something remarkable through years or decades of effort.
Among her colleagues, she had a reputation as an implacable proofreader, ferreting out the smallest infraction against the Associated Press Style Guide or the syntax and grammar of the English language. Perhaps her proudest accomplishment in this aspect of her career was serving as the copy editor for her son’s first book, published in 2024.
In her personal life, Barbara was a consummate world traveler. During her lifetime, she set foot on six continents, filling albums with photographs of her adventures all over the world. She was also a collector of exquisite taste, bringing back artifacts from dozens of countries to commemorate her time abroad. Many people who have visited her home have commented that it is like a museum.
Among the more notable items are two near life-sized statues of the Buddha from Myanmar, one standing and the other reclining, as well as a two-foot-tall wood carving of the Hindu god Ganesha. However, she had a special place in her heart for Africa. Her home was festooned with tribal masks, native weapons, furniture, paintings, carvings and statuary from that continent.
Having been born under the astrological sign Leo, she took the lion as her life-long personal totem – a fact that was immediately obvious to any visitor to her residence. Even on the road, her devotion was evident, owing to her custom Oregon license plate: “MS LION.”
While doubtless incomplete, the list of countries she visited includes: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Grenada, Guam (US Territory), Holland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Micronesia, Morocco, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Tahiti, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A lifelong friend to animals, Barbara had many pets over the course of her life: dogs, cats, birds and rabbits among them. She was particularly fond of apricot standard poodles, having owned five over the years: Zeus, Autumn, Simba, Nala and Sapphire. All preceded her in death. Several of her pets were rescues, who found a loving home with her. She was a fixture at Ash Avenue Dog Park in Tigard, where she brought her dogs to play, rain or shine, virtually every day of the year.
Of her pets alive at the time of her death, her Australian labradoodles, Choccy and Meadow, have found homes with one of her caretakers from her final days and with her son and daughter-in-law, respectively. Her cat, Barnaby, was taken in by her brother Greg, and her African Green Parrot, Chico, along with two smaller birds, have been successfully rehomed.
Barbara had an active and varied social life. After moving to Summerfield in 2018, she joined the King City chapter of the Lions Club, serving in a number of leadership roles with the organization, including as its newsletter editor. Likewise, she served on the board of her homeowners’ association and held several leadership positions with it, as well.
She is survived by her son, Patrick Sherman, and daughter-in-law, Lisa Sherman, as well as her daughter, Sabrina Paulick, and her granddaughter, Isis Paulick. She is also survived by her former husband, Joseph Sherman, and her three brothers: Gregory Cone, Douglas Cone and Richard Cone. She is preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and June Cone, and her sister, Susan Cone, who died shortly after birth.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life in honor of Barbara Jean Sherman
Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Summerfield Clubhouse, located at 10650 SW Summerfield Drive, Tigard, OR 97224.
Per her wishes, her cremated remains will be mixed with those of her many beloved pets and scattered privately by her son.
In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution on behalf of Barbara Sherman to the King City Lions Club: e-clubhouse.org/sites/kingcityor.
