Remembering Barbara Boucke

By Peter Fugazzotto, Director, Communications

April 7, 2025

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Barbara Boucke, long-time MALT board member and local environmental activist, last fall. We think of Barbara this time of year as the spring Wildflower Walks at Leiss Ranch were among her favorite MALT events. 

Our heartfelt thoughts continue to go out to her family and friends. Barbara was a shining light whose enthusiasm, voice, and passion for protecting family farms and ranches and the environment pervaded every conversation.

Having served on the MALT board from 2015-2024 and being a constant presence at our events, the loss of Barbara hits hard, and she continues to be deeply missed.

“Barbara represented the best of MALT,” said Lily Verdone, MALT’s executive director. “With her wealth of community connections and strong nonprofit background, she helped us better think about how we create a connection between the agricultural community and people throughout Marin County. MALT and Marin are not the same without her.”

Barbara was very active in the community. She co-founded the Environmental Forum of Marin (EFM) – we continue to hear from people who were inspired by her and MALT co-founder Phyllis Faber in EFM classes and workshops. Barbara served as a director of the Stinson Beach Water District. She also worked for several decades for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, where her finance and accounting skills combined with her astute people skills made her an outstanding fundraiser, working with the museum’s most philanthropic supporters. She brought deep experience, analytical skills, tough but fair questions, and a unique perspective to each of the organizations she served.

Barbara wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion, while always making sure all voices were heard. She was a lifelong learner who appreciated being exposed to new ideas, even when she respectfully disagreed with them. She was resilient, focused, and advocated for the best outcomes for the people she worked with.

“Barbara, with her enthusiasm and willingness to volunteer, set a positive example for other board members,” said Diana Giacomini Hagan, MALT’s Board Chair and CFO and co-owner of Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. “She always shined at events where she facilitated honest and needed conversations between ranchers and MALT supporters. Her infectious smile, wicked sense of humor, and laughter brought people together.”

It was an honor that Barbara chose to serve on MALT’s board for nine years and we are fortunate to have benefited from her philanthropic work, including being remembered through a planned gift. She passed on her legacy of supporting community organizations and volunteering to her children including her daughter Julia Violich recently honored by the Marin History Museum for her philanthropic commitments to Marin County around transportation alternatives and the environment. We will share more information about a celebration of Barbara’s life to be held later this summer.