20/01/2025
Updated schedule:
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our dear friend, Barbara Rapstein, on January 17. Barbara’s deep knowledge and passion for birds and the environment were truly contagious. She was actively involved in numerous activities, including Christmas Bird Counts, Audubon and Kingsville outreach programs, and leading countless field trips on the King Ranch, to name just a few.
Barbara also served as President of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society for many years, where her skills and dedication left a lasting impact. A softly spoken woman with a big heart, she brought warmth and inspiration to everyone who knew her. Her contributions to the community and her love for the natural world will be remembered and cherished. She will be deeply missed.
Funeral itinerary: January 23, 2025, A public viewing will take place earlier that day from 9:00 AM to 11:30 PM. followed by a service at 12 noon at Turcotte-Piper Funeral Home, located at 205 General Cavazos Blvd, Kingsville, TX. The final resting place with be at Chamberlain Cemetery. 735 W Caesar Ave, Kingsville, TX at 3PM weather permitting
We invite all who knew Barbara to join us in celebrating her life and legacy.
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Barbara Rapstein Ryon - Obituary
A native Texan, Barbara, 66, grew up surrounded by birds and nature in the
Columbia Bottomlands. She was born as the first child to Kirby Rapstein Sr.,
and Lou Edith Riggs Rapstein on November 19th, 1958 in Freeport, Texas.
She grew up in Wild Peach, Texas, and attended and graduated from high
school in West Columbia, Texas, at Columbia High School and later earned
degrees from both Texas A&M and University of Texas.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 31 years, Ron Ryon and their two
beloved dogs -Tyga the wonder dog -her guardian angel and constant
companion, and Jake the Brittany Spaniel, her younger brother Kirby
Rapstein Jr., and younger sister Elizabeth Rapstein. She also survived by the
large and loving Hall-Rapstein family in Missouri including Chip & Linda Hall, Randy Hall and the Hall
twins Cindy & Tina. Tyga found Barbara while he was lost one day and the two instantly bonded. She
often said that she thought her late father Kirby had sent Tyga to her as a guardian angel after his
passing in 2021, the day before Barbara’s birthday.
Barbara and her siblings are all descended of the original settlers of Texas on their mother’s side being
traced back to Rebecca Cummings who was engaged to William Barret Travis when he died as
temporary commander of the Alamo. Many of Barbara’s ancestors served in the military for many wars
including her great uncle Albert, who survived the Manila Death March, her father Kirby who
volunteered for the Korean War and her brother Kirby served in the US Air Force. Barbara lived her life
with equal conviction pouring every fiber of her being into birding, teaching the developmentally
challenged in Texas City, helping others and most importantly, her time as a bird and wildlife tour guide
for the King Ranch -her most cherished times.
Barbara was very talented and very active in primary school through college participating in many
outlets including serving as an acolyte at her home church of St. Mary’s Episcopal church in West
Columbia. Playing in the school bands first as a flutist and later bassoonist and eventually became a flag
girl at Columbia High School and Lamar University where she began her college years before transferring
to Texas A&M. She was especially exceptional in theater where she won many parts in school plays
sometimes sewing her own costumes. She was also in the Belle of the Brazos beauty pageant and
parade in West Columbia sewing her own historically relevant ball gown that she wore in the parade.
Barbara and all of her immediate family were also exceptionally gifted as artists, illustrators and
designers and musicians which run in the family. The Rapstein family also took up sailing and Barabara
was on the Texas A&M sailing team, where she participated as a crew member for the famous Harvest
Moon Regatta racing for 36 hours straight over night to the finish point in Port Aransas.
Barbara’s immediate and ancestral families across generations, all shared a love for the Texas beach and
coastal areas. This love of Texas coastal areas would later transform into her love of birding,
conservation and educational efforts which stemmed from her father, Kirby Rapstein,and his own
wildlife restoration, conservation and education efforts.
Before her birding career began, and during her time in college she worked at Dow Chemical with her
father, Kirby, who was a chemist and would later go on to work on the publishing staff at The University
of Texas. After she graduated from UT, she began her career in advertising working for Felix Rhymes at
the agency Large Rhymes, and other advertising agencies.
When Barbara and her husband moved to Galveston Bay, she got her Teacher’s Certificate and taught
the underprivileged and the developmentally challenged, another natural gift of Barbara’s -helping
others and inspiring all ages to achieve more and be happier. During this time, her involvement with the
Galveston Audobon proved that Barbara was a gifted birder and her involvement with the organization
soon blossomed into her position as Secretary. As a result, Barbara and her longtime birding partners,
Elouise Lawrence and Trudy Belz bird rehabilitator, made the discovery of a rarely sighted pink flamingo
on the Texas City D**e, later named, “Pinkie,” which became a birding world sensation leading to the
sighting being published in Houston and Galveston newspapers with news spreading quickly across the
US, bringing in thousands of birders from all over to see Pinkie the flamingo at the Texas City D**e for
over two weeks.
Barbara “officially” began birding 30+ years ago while living on west Galveston Bay not far from critical
rookery islands. Birds in trouble frequently crossed her path, which led to a great deal of time
volunteering with the local wildlife rehabber. Two years later she made her first Galveston Christmas
Bird Count (CBC), a long-held tradition, and was hooked on birds after locating groove-billed ani’s on the
shoreline of Galveston Bay. From there she quickly took on as many volunteer opportunities as she
could manage—CBC’s, surveys, rookery monitoring, colonial waterbird counts, HawkWatch,
FeatherFest, field trip leader, a founding member and officer of Galveston County Audubon and all
round promoter of birding and conservation through her own handcrafted educational booths. In 2010,
a move south to Baffin Bay, lead to new volunteer opportunities with other Audubon’s, CBC’s, BBS’s,
birding classes, and nature tour guiding for King Ranch since 2011. She also made many birding trips
with her beloved friends and family including birding across the US, Central and South America on the
Amazon River. Ever a believer we will save only what we love, Barbara’s wish was to nourish the love of
nature in others.
Barbara had a tough fight with very aggressive breast cancer starting in 2019 and went through 6
months of cancer treatment, but returned to work tirelessly and sprang back to life for four more years
until her cancer returned in late 2024, which she succumbed to.
Services will be held on Thursday, January 23rd at:
Turcotte-Piper Mortuary
205 General Cavazos Blvd.,
Kingsville, Texas, 78363
361-592-9394
Beginning with a 9:00am-11:30am public visitation, refreshments and finger foods followed by the
service at 12:00pm and the graveside ceremony at 3:00pm, weather permitting.
To honor Barbara’s memory, her husband Ron asks that you take the time to enjoy nature in your day
and to stop what you’re doing, grab some binoculars and spend a moment with the feathered world.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barbara’s name to any of the following organizations of
which she was a member: - - -
Coastal Bend Audobon - https://www.coastalbendaudubon.org/
Audobon Outdoor Club - https://www.audubonoutdoorclub.com/
Houston Audobon - https://houstonaudubon.org/
