- Date Of Birth: April 1, 1931
- Date Of Death: August 28, 2022
- State: Connecticut
On August 28, 2022, Barbara Shaw Rankin Starr, known to all as Bobbie, passed away in a peaceful sleep after a long battle with health issues at age 91. Born and raised in Nutley, NJ, she was the daughter of Margaret Dickinson Shaw and Alan Shaw. Her husbands Leonard Starr, a celebrated cartoonist, and Arthur Rankin, a film producer and director, pre-deceased her.
Always optimistic, witty, and exceptionally beautiful, she was a loyal and lifelong friend to many people. As a teenager, Bobbie launched her successful modeling career in New York while living at the Rehearsal Club, a famous residence for young aspiring actresses and models that she loved recalling with loads of laughs and fond memories.
Bobbie was always a survivor with no regrets; she relished telling wonderful stories about her life to both old friends and new. Everyone loved her tales. She was a consummate storyteller.
She is survived by nieces Robin Barry (Dave) and Susan Shaw Merriam (Carlton), nephew Robert A Shaw Jr. (Marylou), grandnephew Christopher Wyman, and grandnieces Erica Furfari and Courtney Stevenson. She is predeceased by her brother, Robert Alan Shaw, and Chelsea Barry, a grandniece.
Jill and Joshua Rizack deserve much thanks for looking after Bobbie’s wellbeing over the last few years. And Bobbie could not have had a more devoted, loving caretaker than Elizabeth Kerman who moved in with her after her beloved husband Leonard died.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth.
Bobbie’s dearest friend was her stepson Gardner Rankin.
We love you, Bobbie, and will always miss your bright smile and lively sense of humor.
