Barbara Higley Tall Lane, 94

February 27, 2025

Barbara Higley Tall Lane passed away peacefully on February 27, 2025 at age 94. She was living at the Glen in the Willow Valley Communities of Lancaster, Pa.

Bobbie grew up in Hudson Falls, NY as the daughter of Mary (Gorham) Higley and Clifford Walter Higley. She attended Hudson Falls High School, graduating with the class of 1948. After one year at Mount Holyoke College she transferred to Elmira College where she graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Bobbie married George Washington Tall III on February 13, 1954. They settled in Jenkintown, Pa to raise their family of four children. Not only was she an avid golfer and tennis player, she loved knitting, sewing, needle work and rug hooking. Bobbie was interested in early American life. She collected antique furniture and was a long time member of Questers, a Philadelphia organization that seeks to educate and preserve antique structures from centuries gone by. In anticipation of the 1976 Bicentennial, she volunteered to demonstrate the spinning of flax into linen at the Thompson-Neely House near Washington’s Crossing.

A love of small children encouraged Bobbie to join the board of the Jenkintown Day Nursery. She also volunteered at Abington Hospital for many years.
Bobbie loved animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits and her daughter’s horse all became members of the family.

In 1977 after her children had grown up, Bobbie went to work as a dental receptionist at Prevent-A-Dent Dental Associates in Ambler, Pa. After she retired, Bobbie and George enjoyed playing golf at various locations around the country until his death in 1993. Eventually, she took up traveling outside of the country enjoying excursions in South America, United Kingdom and Africa to name a few. She met David Lane on a trip to Australia in 1997. They were married on November 27, 2001. Together they trotted the globe to faraway places including Thailand, Russia and Europe. Occasionally, they blended their two families and enjoyed cruises to Alaska, Bermuda and the Bahamas. Summer weeks were spent at her house on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains or with David’s family at Fair Hills Resort in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

Bobbie and David moved to Willow Valley in 2009. David passed away in 2014.

Devotion as a wife and mother is Bobbie’s greatest achievement. Her children were her whole world while they were growing up. Bowling tournaments, choral concerts, lacrosse games and horse shows were attended by their greatest cheerleader.

Until her final days she was an avid reader of books and the daily newspaper. She completed crossword puzzles with determination almost every day and enjoyed attending lectures on a variety of topics to keep herself current and informed of global and political issues.

Bobbie is survived by her children, George W. Tall IV (Deborah), Susan T. Sutter (Steven), John H. Tall (Laurie), Anne T. Phinney (Roderick), 12 grandchildren, Caroline Tall (Azeo Torre), Emma Bigelow (Robin), George Tall V (Emma Sarkisyan), Amy Lewis (Ben), John Sutter, Todd Sutter (Kristina), Megan Stockton (Andy), Emily Ellin (Josh), Katherine Tall (Brittani Haines), Michaela Woolston, Ryan Tall, Sarah Woolston and 11 great grandchildren, Edward Bigelow, Peter Bigelow, Robert Bigelow, Henry Torre, Evangeline Torre, George Tall VI, Ella Tall, Elise Lewis, Thomas Lewis, Eleanor Stockton, Piper Sutter
Love is extended to her 4 stepchildren, Sally Lane (Joe Lancaster), David Lane (Jonathan Kessler), Jennie Lane, Mary Roble (Jim) and all of their children and grandchildren.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family.