“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Barbara Denton is one of those special people we are all hopefully lucky to come across at some point throughout our lives. Someone who helps others at every step, in both varied and supportive ways. Today, we are proud to recognize Barbara as a special patron whose life and work, dedication and sincere generosity have been a true blessing for the entire Warner Pacific community.
Those fortunate enough to have spent any amount of time with Barbara will likely have heard about her and her family’s deep roots with the University. From traveling to many concerts and special events throughout the years to her constant support fervently and loudly cheering on the Knights at basketball games as proud season ticket holders. Barbara and her family have always had fun showing up to support the community and sharing their enthusiasm along the way.
Yet Barbara and her family’s support runs much deeper than just cheering and applause. Along with her late husband Mark, Barbara founded The Mark and Barbara Family Foundation, which made possible a great number of student scholarships, thus enabling the strong roots for the next generation of students to develop a lifetime of dedicated faith, knowledge, and possibility. Through their foundation, Barbara and Mark have lived the example of planting trees and sowing seeds from which future generations could thrive. They have truly helped provide a strong foundation for the Warner Pacific family to thrive for generations to come.
Through the years, Barbara’s dedication to the Warner Pacific family has been unwavering. “I have seen the impact that Warner Pacific has had on so many young people of faith,” she has said, adding that her family’s “roots run deep at Warner and we all have loved watching Warner Pacific grow over the years.” Their affinity and support for the students, staff and faculty has benefitted young and underprivileged students to achieve their education. Through her family’s efforts, they have helped craft the culture and ethos of the school.
While many will remember Barbara as someone who frequently was in the crowd cheering on the Knights at sports games, we can all appreciate her consistent cheering of Warner Pacific and its mission to help people of faith find, explore and live their true purpose. Perhaps a simple passage sums up Barbara and her family’s dedication: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Or in Barbara’s own words, “For me and my family, supporting Warner Pacific is part of a family tradition.”
We are all lucky to have her in our fold. Please join us in recognizing and thanking Barbara for her incredible support, generosity, and inspiration.