Meet Your Staff – Barbara McCardle

Barbara McCardle (left) volunteering at our end-of-summer barbecue in 2025.

By Donald J. Roberts  
 
Barbara McCardle, receptionist at the Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center, is the featured worker from the Center this month. Barbara has lived in East Wenatchee since 2012, and has been the receptionist since 2023.
Barbara was born in Wisconsin. She moved with her parents and two siblings several times — to Minnesota, Colorado, then to Nebraska. Her father owned radio stations and worked at them as a broadcaster, producer, and as a sports announcer.

In Fremont, Nebraska, Barbara met the love of her life, Ray McCardle. They were married in 1960, and God blessed this union with six children —  two sons and four daughters. Barbara was a stay-at-home mom for sixteen years.
In 1981, Ray’s company, Mutual of Omaha/United Health Care, transferred the family to Bothell, Washington after ten years in Montana. This was Barbara’s seventh state of residence. By then she was working as a bookkeeper — a job she enjoyed for over 35 years.

In 2012, Ray and Barbara retired to East Wenatchee, where Ray achieved his dream of living in an area where he liked to hunt and fish. Barbara and Ray were married for 58 years. He passed away in 2018.

Barbara has a son living in Chelan, three daughters who live in Wenatchee, a son in Montlake Terrace and a daughter in Kansas. She also has eighteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

When asked about her hobbies and interests, Barbara said she always has a jigsaw puzzle in the works and enjoys word searches and diamond art, hoping to keep her mind active. She enjoys playing cards and board games, which she loves to play with her grandchildren. She calls herself a “sports nut.” Having had a father who was a sports announcer, her love for all sports came naturally. She said she always wanted to be an actress, and was afforded opportunities when she appeared in several church productions in Montana and Washington. She especially enjoyed performing in outdoor amphitheaters for church retreats.

Barbara McCardle says she loves working at the Senior Center. She enjoys working and visiting with the seniors who come to visit, eat or take classes, and she likes the opportunities she has to encourage and to cheer for people on a daily basis.