Barbara Fayth Humphrey

life story

Mom. Friend. Actor. Scot. Grandmommy!

Babs loved and was loved by everyone who knew her. We will miss the light she brought to our lives.

We love YOU to the moon and back!

All About Babs

Barbara Fayth (“Babs”) Humphrey, 91, of Lilydale, Minnesota, died October 23, 2026 after a prolonged illness. She was preceded in death by her parents Neil Cameron Humphrey and Jessie Marie Hanson (nee Cooper); siblings Darlynn Hope (“Dolly”) Ronn (nee Humphrey) and William George (“Bill”) Hanson; and son Gunnar Barker Söderlind. She is survived by brother John Yates Cameron Humphrey; daughter SaDee Söderlind, sons Jack Barker and Charlie Barker (Lisa); grandchildren Forrest, Joe (Elissa), Natali (Jesse), Alex, Amarie (Matthew), Kyle (Brooke), Lindsay, Grant (Hannah), and Andrew; as well as great-grandchildren Judah, Elowen, Vinnie, Violet, and Vera.

Babs was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and spent most of her formative years there. From her early childhood through her teens, she lived with her maternal grandfather and grandmother, attending Duluth Denfeld High School, as well as the University of Minnesota—Duluth. It was during this time that she fostered a passion for acting and performing, which would follow her throughout her long life.

After leaving UMD, Babs had several incredibly diversified careers. In her mid- to late-20’s, she became interested and involved in local and state party politics. For several years, she worked as a flight attendant for North Central Airlines. She kindled an interest in television production around this same time, producing several hour-long live shows each week for public television. This led to work in commercial broadcast television when she moved to the Twin Cities (with later tenures at stations KTCA, WCCO, and WTCN/KARE).

By her mid-30’s, she was administrating a parent cooperative Montessori School attended by her youngest two children. Her family became interested in horses and she spent several years supporting her husband and children in Western riding competitions at horse shows around Minnesota. An interest in “Early Music” and recorders led to her serving as president of the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Recorder Society.

In the 1970s, she became a dancer with the Concentus Musicus Renaissance Dance Ensemble and Music Antiqua Music & Dance Ensemble, accompanying the latter group on a three-week performance tour of Norway as guests of King Olaf V. Both groups performed regularly at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

Returning to college in the early 1980’s, she began what would become the realization of a decades-long ambition to return to work in theatre after an absence of 26 years. Leading roles in college theatre led to community theatre and then (in 1989) to her professional debut with the acclaimed Theatre Exchange. She appeared in well over 60 theatrical productions and six national tours. Productions of Driving Miss Daisy (in the lead role of Miss Daisy), Steel Magnolias (Miss Clairee), and On Golden Pond (lead role Ethel Thayer) all earned “Best Touring Show of the Season (Non-Musical)” honors from APAP (The Association of Performing Arts Presenters). Her lead role in Tom and Viv at Theater in the Round Players in Minneapolis was recognized as “Best Lead Actress” in a local production for that year by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (whose reviewer described her as “the steely Barbara Humphrey”).

In addition to her stage work, she appeared in dozens of television commercials, radio commercials, industrial training videos, films, and a TV sitcom pilot, “Paradise Inn.” The commercial for Timber Lodge Steakhouses where she played “big & tender Aunt Gladys” won a Regional Emmy Award.

After attending the Macalester College Scottish Fair for over ten years and wondering why her clan did not participate in the Parade of Tartans, Babs founded what became the Northern Lights Branch of Clan Cameron, serving as convenor and then president for five years. She subsequently served on the boards of directors for several Minnesota Scottish organizations including the Minnesota Coalition of Scottish Clans, the Twin Cities Scottish Club, the St. Andrew’s Society of Minnesota, and the Scottish American Center. For many years, Babs served as Master of Ceremonies at the Scottish Ramble, held annually in February at the Landmark Center in St. Paul.

In 1999, on the first anniversary of the US Senate Resolution 155 designating April 6 as National Tartan Day, Babs organized the first official Minnesota Tartan Day celebration at the state capitol in St. Paul. The event featured numerous Scottish organizations, pipe bands, and highland dance groups. This collection became known as the Minnesota Tartan Day Cooperative, which later sponsored and commissioned the creation of the Minnesota Tartan and the Minnesota Dress Tartan, accepted by the Minnesota Senate as the official tartans for the state on February 4, 2002. The Minnesota Tartan Project was under the direction of Babs and the late Jackie Johnston.

In 2003, the Minnesota Tartan Day Cooperative began the awarding of a Lifetime Achievement Award to members of the Scottish community who have made contributions above and beyond expectations. In April 2007, the fifth annual Minnesota Tartan Day Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Babs. In 2011, Babs and her son Jack traveled to the US Capitol in Washington DC, where she was given the prestigious National Tartan Day Award, presented to her by Senator Trent Lott.

Throughout her life, Babs was a member of her high school reunion committee (Duluth Denfeld Class of 1953) and orchestrated a phenomenal reunion in 2003 that drew 250 attendees, one of the largest reunions in the school’s history. She co-chaired the 2008 reunion, again offering innovative ideas, and traveled to Duluth every few months for planning meetings. After her retirement, Babs often enjoyed day cruises of the Mississippi River on the Padelford Riverboat "Betsey Northrup" that went right past her condominium!

Babs’ interest in genealogy and particularly her Scottish heritage led her to visit Scotland on several occasions. First in 1997 with her friend Linda Cameron, she met the Chief of Clan Cameron and was present when he signed the charter for the Northern Lights Branch. In 2001, with daughter SaDee, son Jack, and grandson Forrest, she attended the International Gathering of Clan Cameron at Achnacarry. In 2006, she and daughter SaDee attended the A’Bhuain (“Homecoming”) on the Isle of Tiree (birthplace of her Cameron ancestors). And in 2016, Babs and her son Jack went back to Tiree for another A’Bhuain.

Then there were Babs’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren (fourteen in all). They were the light of her life and filled her with enormous pride over their many successes. She lost count of the number of swimming meets, baseball games, football games, soccer games, softball games, band concerts, choir concerts, school plays, and graduation events she attended. She loved them all “to the moon and back.”

Last but not least in her affections, were her canine children and grandchildren—dogs Toby I, Durango, Ralph, Charmer, Toby II, Zöe, Ariela, Roxxy, Griffin, Lilly, Bentley, Toby III, Krypto, and the aptly named Mr. Humphrey—who all loved cuddling and snuggling with her.

No services are currently planned. Information on a possible Celebration of Life will be announced when details are available. A video retrospective of Babs’ life, produced for her 90th birthday in 2025, can be found on YouTube using this link:

https://youtu.be/EjS5DpRWvi0?si=RntlVCCq09Fobaij

In place of flowers or gifts, donations can be made to the Garden of Eatin’ at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota (see below).

memorial service

To Be Determined

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services