Mission Viejo nurse, 71, worked through pandemic, died of COVID-19

They met successful 1968, astatine the Leaky Tiki adjacent Sacramento. She was nursing a azygous Coke with a person due to the fact that they lone had a 4th betwixt them. He was successful the Air Force, determination to spot a person play drums successful a stone ‘n’ rotation band.

Turned out, they some loved to dance.

Barbara and Steve Darke connected their wedding time successful 1970. (Courtesy Steve Darke)

Barbara Greene and Steve Darke joined successful 1970 and had a tiny wedding successful Anaheim that outgo each of $500 —  formal included. They bought a location successful Irvine, had 2 sons and past Barbara Darke went backmost to schoolhouse to go a registered nurse.

Caring for the sick was her life’s mission, the precise crushed she was enactment connected earth, she decided — and it was wherefore she continued moving done the pandemic, adjacent with a benignant of humor cancer. It wasn’t wide however a COVID-19 vaccine would impact her. She didn’t get one. Her religion was fierce.

Days aft celebrating their 51st wedding day connected July 4, Darke began to consciousness ill. She fought it arsenic champion she could — she didn’t privation to miss a sojourn with her grandchildren — but erstwhile they left, she went to urgent care. She tested affirmative for COVID-19 and was admitted to Providence Mission Hospital successful Mission Viejo, wherever she had worked for decades.

Darke disquieted astir those who came to cheque connected her and, erstwhile she was incapable to talk, would constitute “How are you today?” connected the pad beside her bed. She rallied aft 5 weeks successful the hospital, but her lungs were weak. She suffered consequent infections and, connected Sept. 6, she died. Darke was 71.

“She felt she was doing God’s work,” said her husband, Steve Darke. “She believed her intent was to attraction for people, and she did. Nothing was ever astir her. It was astir everyone else.”

‘A existent loss’

Those who worked with Darke are devastated.

“She was a preceptor and mentor to galore of america nurses,” said person Karen Hilburg. “A existent inspiration. So galore of america started arsenic caller nurses and were guided by Barbara. She lived to assistance others. It was her life’s calling. It’s a existent nonaccomplishment for us.”

Leigh Elkins said Darke is simply a peculiar portion of who she is. “She gave maine the astir important acquisition — uncovering a mode to conscionable laughter truthful hard erstwhile you privation to cry. She was an angel agelong earlier she became an angel,” Elkins wrote successful an online tribute.

In the cardiac unit, Darke took Laura Partridge nether her helping and taught her 1 of the astir important lessons: that determination are things you conscionable can’t control, truthful you person to fto it go. The movie “Frozen” was fashionable astatine the time, and the 2 would loop retired its signature song, “Let It Go,” she wrote successful a tribute.

“Barbara was loved by her patients and each the caregivers and physicians who had the pleasance of knowing her and moving alongside her,” said Carrie Arneth Miller, spokeswoman for Providence Mission Hospital. “She devoted much than 28 years to nursing and volition beryllium remembered for the fun-loving and affirmative tone that she shared with everyone. She volition beryllium truthful dearly missed.”

Barbara Darke successful 2019. (Courtesy Darke family)

Darke loved to spell dancing successful places packed with people. She took large pridefulness successful being the fun-loving grandma to her 9 grandchildren, playing committee games and paper games, dressing up successful goofy costumes, taking them to concerts connected the lake, amusement parks, tide pools and the zoo.

Services planned

A memorial work volition beryllium held 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, astatine Crossline Community Church, Laguna Hills. Burial volition travel astatine El Toro Memorial Park successful Lake Forest. The household asks that immoderate contributions successful her representation beryllium made to Providence World, https://providenceworld.com/invest/ oregon Mount Hermon, https://www.mounthermon.org/give/.

A solemnisation of beingness volition beryllium held from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, astatine Saddleback Church Rancho Capistrano’s little field, 29251 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

‘She conscionable loved people’

“I consciousness similar she’s astatine the gates of heaven, truthful excited for the enactment that is astir to begin,” wrote person Elkins. “She conscionable loved people, and was an astonishing caregiver for knowing truthful overmuch of quality nature. She’s gonna person a bully clip up determination keeping an oculus connected things for america all.

“She conscionable embodied ‘Lead with Love.’ I’m truthful fortunate God placed her successful my beingness arsenic a portion of my calling to nursing, and my archetypal mates of years of practice. She made the worst situations ever look similar God’s beauteous — sometimes ridiculous — but ever perfect, plan. It is simply a relationship I volition miss terribly.”