Kris Call Barth Sarkady

Kris E. Call Barth Sarkady May 4, 1944 - Jan 16, 2017 Kris (don�t you dare say Kristin) Elizabeth Call Barth Sarkady passed away surrounded by loved ones on Jan 16 after a battle with cancer and Alzheimer's. Even though she had many health problems, nothing stopped her from being social and making friends up to the very end. Much love and gratitude go to the people at Sunrise Senior Living and her medical team/care givers, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Avizonis, and Dr. Nanci Klein, for taking such good care of our mom. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hugh and Catherine Call, and her sister-in-law Ruby; those surviving her are her brothers--Merlin (Ruby), Kevin (Chris), and Brooke (Jan) Call--and her children, Steve Barth (Miriam), Patrick Barth (Alessandra), and Steph Walker. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Make A Wish Utah. Services will be held in the spring. Mom was born in Montpelier, Idaho to Hugh and Catherine Call. She started out feisty and ended feisty, and none of us would want it any differently. Mom went to high school in Twin Falls where she was a veritable social butterfly, and she did things that we, as her children, have a hard time picturing, like being on the drill team (who knew Mom could dance?) and in the drama club (who knew she could pretend to be anything but herself?). She always spoke highly of her time there in Twin and enjoyed herself whenever she went to the high school reunions. Not only did she have lots of friends there (and wherever else she went), but she also got a great education, especially shining in English. It was then that she began writing lovely poetry. Our mom was social, creative, and fun. Mom met our Dad, Neal S. Barth, through her high school drama activities. Sparks flew, and it wasn�t long before they chose to get hitched and move to Orem to raise the family. We learned a plethora from Mom during those years. Some things that stick out are how to look up words that she used that were far above our vocabulary level, how to count to 10 in French, and how to properly clean anything and everything (she was a very meticulous person). We also learned the joy of reading through her example. She would often joke that she figured her children would either love or hate reading--love it because we followed in her footsteps, or hate it out of resentment because she spent so much time doing it. With Dad�s help, she also instilled a love of the arts. Some of my favorite memories are of going to the ballet, symphony, or museums with her to enjoy some of the finer things. Our mom was a teacher. Much to Mom�s dismay, she never earned a college degree; however, she completed one year at BYU before she got married and started a family, and then would take classes whenever she could throughout the years. It was through anthropology classes at the Salt Lake Community College that she discovered her passion for American Indian cultures. She would also accompany her children to university and community lectures, talk through numerous intellectual ideas, and tried to learn French in her spare time. Our mom was a learner. Mom�s temperament was such that being a stay-at-home mom was far from optimal, so she got a job. She started her career as an executive secretary at First Security Bank in Provo where her organizational and linguistic skills proved valuable. Working hard and enduring much (think Mary Tyler Moore ten years later), she eventually become an internal auditor for the bank. This allowed her to travel throughout Utah, making friends wherever she went. (It was not uncommon to be driving somewhere with her and hear her exclaim whom her friends were at this or that particular branch.) There were times when she would come home frustrated at the blatant sexism she experienced and witnessed, and then the next morning she would go out and fight the good fight all over again. Our mom was a hard worker. After she retired from the bank, she was able to fulfill a lifelong wish to travel. She and her husband Jim went somewhere warm every February, as well as Europe and up to see Jim�s family in Canada whenever possible. We recently asked her where her favorite destination was that she experienced, and she started listing all of them. She found beauty everywhere. Our mom was an explorer. Even though she was busy, Mom always made time to help us out. Throughout the years she would always make a point to support us in whatever activities we were pursuing, from editing papers, folding our laundry, or babysitting our children. Babysitting was one of her favorites, and she would often be found on the floor sharing herself with them fully. She always had so much love and appreciation to share with wee ones that we were a bit concerned someone was going to call and report her to the authorities for being overly adoring to those she didn�t know. She tried to help anyone she could. She spent countless hours volunteering at the Salt Lake Public Library and, her favorite, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Our mom was a giver. These last couple of years were hard on Mom. She didn�t like not being able to do whatever she had set her mind to, but she handled it with grace and charm. It was endearing to go somewhere with her and, upon leaving, hear her go to the employees and thank them for the best pizza she had had in her memory. When she met one of the hospice nurses for the first time, she thanked her for being a part of her life. During her last days, she repeatedly thanked us for being her children and loving her. With a beautifully feisty, full heart like hers, how could we not? Above all that she was, she was our mother, grandmother, sister, wife, and friend. Thanks for sharing your life�s journey with us and making our lives a whole lot better, Mom. We love you. Services will be held in the spring.