Barbara Moen Renton

Barbara Moen Renton, born on March 29, 1926, in Southern California, peacefully passed away on January 14, 2024. She was 97.

Barbara, a proud descendant of Norwegian immigrant dairy farmers Ole and Hilda Moen, cherished her Norse heritage throughout her life. She achieved her bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California, 1946 and married Louis W. Lewis in 1948. She earned a master's degree from Southern Methodist University. 1954.  In 1959, the growing family relocated to Berkeley, where she became an integral part of the community.

Devoted to education and the arts, Barbara was actively involved in the Young Musicians Program and played a role in the creation of the Berkeley Teachers Education Fund, leaving a lasting impact on the community.

While raising four children, Barbara pursued her own educational journey, enrolling at UC Berkeley and obtaining her teaching credential in 1965. Shortly after, she began a fulfilling career teaching biology at Berkeley High School. Barbara's dedication to education extended beyond the classroom, as she became a beloved teacher and a valued member of the Berkeley Teachers’ Union negotiating committee. She retired in 1983, but maintained a life-long commitment to helping to shape young minds.

Barbara's life was one of resilience and reinvention. Following a divorce, she found love again with Nigel Renton, whom she married in 1972. They enjoyed travel, and supported music and environmental causes. Their union lasted until Nigel's passing due to Covid in 2021.

Barbara is survived by her four children: Kristin Lewis, Laurie Lewis, Lisa Lewis and Brian Lewis; her two stepsons, Jeremy Renton and Nicholas Renton; 10 grandchildren, Justine (Lewis) Clifford, Chloe (Forsman) Woodruff, Shannon Forsman, Anna, Thomas, Fiona, Margaret, and Gwynneth Renton, Karen Benke and Alison (Benke) Altmann; and four great-grandchildren, Holden and Jackson Clifford, Collin Prell, and Everett Ryan Cox,

Join us to celebrate Barbara's life at Live Oak Park, in Berkeley, CA, Saturday, June 1st, 2024.  If you would like to share a memory/story/music, kindly, sign up in advance on the RSVP for events-- Mingling and munchies 2-4 (picnic 1), memorial starts at 4:30 at picnic 2.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to NRDC or the Alameda County Food Bank in Barbara’s name, or the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, Richmond, CA, where there is a music scholarship in her name to support young musicians.