Barbara Pauline Leikam Bayers, age 86, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2026, in Mission Viejo, California.

Born on April 23, 1940, in Cologne, Minnesota, Barbara lived a life marked by adventure, curiosity, courage, deep faith, and an unwavering love for her family. Life’s most fulfilling calling for her was in helping others, and nowhere was that more evident than in her humanitarian work serving Cambodian refugees during the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1980’s.

Barbara graduated from the University of Minnesota and Swedish Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis and later earned a master's degree in Epidemiology. She worked as a registered nurse throughout Northern California before answering an advertisement seeking volunteers for a refugee camp on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. That decision led to what she considered the most meaningful work of her life.

After witnessing the "mash mentality" of the refugee camps, Barbara realized that immediate medical care alone was not enough. She believed the refugees needed knowledge and training to care for themselves and rebuild their communities when they were eventually able to return home. Working alongside medically trained Cambodian refugees, Barbara developed a comprehensive nursing education program within the camp. Together, they created a structured curriculum using French medical textbooks, culminating in a formal graduation for those who completed the program.

Barbara and the team also undertook the enormous task of translating the healthcare guide Where There Is No Doctorfrom English into Khmer—page by page and illustration by illustration. After securing a grant, she printed thousands of copies and distributed them throughout the refugee camps. Demonstrating extraordinary courage and commitment, Barbara even rode into Cambodia on elephant back to personally deliver the books to Cambodians hiding in the jungle. Her work helped thousands of people, and the curriculum she developed was later shared with other underserved populations throughout the region in collaboration with the foundation that she started called SEPI, Self Education Programs International.

Outside of her humanitarian work, Barbara loved traveling, reading, and embracing new adventures. Whether riding motorcycles, learning to fly, or exploring new places and cultures, she approached life with enthusiasm and fearlessness. She was a woman of strong faith whose intelligence, humility, generosity, wit, and compassion touched everyone who knew her.

Barbara is survived by her loving daughter, Brooke Dubray; son-in-law, Jean-Pierre Dubray; grandson, Luc Dubray; granddaughters, Sophie Dubray and Gabrielle Dubray; sisters, Kathy Schmidt and Christine Bergmann; and several beloved nieces and nephews.

Barbara's greatest legacy outside her family is not only the lives she saved, but the hope she inspired and the countless people she empowered to care for themselves and others. She will be deeply missed.

A private family Celebration of Life will be held in California, with a second celebration planned in Minnesota during the summer of 2027.