Biography for

Barbara (Ondrey) Anderson

After graduating, Barbara attended Dyke College for one year. Eager to start making her way in the world, she started working first for a law/accounting firm (two man show), then the Union Bank, and finally for Pacific Mutual Insurance.

She remained in the Brecksville area until September, 1970, when she moved to Arlington, VA to start work at the Department of State. In April, 1971, she went on her first overseas assignment--Tehran, Iran. She enjoyed living and working in Iran and was able to do a lot of traveling in neighboring countries. She remained there until November, 1974, when she was married and returned to Washington, D.C. with her new husband, Gary. They remained in D.C. until April, 1975, when they departed for Clark Air Force Base in The Philippines, where their son, Tony, was born. They remained there for two years until they were transferred to Lisbon, Portugal. Because living was difficult in Portugal, when the time came for their daughter, Christina, to be born, she flew home to Brecksville and gave birth in Parma Hospital. Once they obtained a passport for their daughter, they returned to Portugal where they stayed until 1980.

Next was a transfer to the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi). After a nice hiatus of not working, however, she was bored and worked in the oil industry in the UAE which was definitely more exciting. But after two years, it was off again this time to The Hague in The Netherlands. There she was able to do the usual mommy stuff of being a den mother, brownie leader, and teaching aide. In 1986 the whole family came back to the USA where she started once again working, this time in Langley, VA for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Lots of travel for business and lots of fun along the way followed until retirement in April, 2001. By this time, the children were grown and out on their own, and she and Gary were tired of the cold weather so they packed up and moved to Daytona Beach to play for awhile before they built their house in Palm Coast.

Travel was still in their blood and they continued going to out-of-the-way places and having lots of fun adventures. They have been on each of the continents and traveled to over 100 countries. In their leisure time, when not traveling the world, they are active in a walking club and have a goal of walking in each of the 50 states along with each of the state's capitols. Otherwise, sitting by their pool or on one of the nearby beaches with a good book is their idea of heaven.