"See You on Our Next Adventure" — 'Survivor 47' Shares Touching Tribute to Jeff Probst's Mom Barb
In addition to being Jeff's mom, Barb was a proud member of the Gamma Delta fraternity.
Published Nov. 20 2024, 9:31 p.m. ET
As much as we love tuning into the on-screen drama presented to us in Survivor, the show also sometimes offers reminders of the fact that there are real people affected by the show — not just the players themselves, but the crew and their family members as well.
As Episode 10 of Survivor 47 came to a close, viewers may have been surprised to see an in memoriam slide dedicated to someone named Barb. "Dedicated to Barb, the biggest Survivor fan of all time," the slide read. "See you on our next adventure."
Who was this touching tribute for?
Barb Bartlett Probst with several members of her family
Who is Barb on 'Survivor 47'?
The Barb referenced in the in memoriam slide is none other than Barb Probst, host Jeff Probst's mother. On Nov. 8, 2024, Jeff's brother Brent took to Instagram to share a lovely tribute to his and Jeff's mom.
"My amazing mom Barbara Probst passed away peacefully yesterday in her home," Brent wrote. "She was the best mom, grandma and just a fantastic person full of love and life. For the last couple years, she had full-time care for dementia and died one week before her 86th birthday. She had a great life and I am certain that I am a good person because she and my dad raised me with love and humor. I will miss her every single day for the rest of my life."
Jeff hasn't spoken publicly of his mother very often, but it's easy to see that she was an integral part of the family unit, and also that she had many friends and admirers. Redditor u/adammerkley shared that he had the pleasure of meeting Barb once in public. "Met her once at the farmer's market in Phoenix. She was so proud to ask me about the Buff I was wearing and telling me she was Jeff's mother."
Barb was a proud member of the Gamma Delta fraternity.
Of course, Barb had a whole life outside of being Jeff's mom. For one thing, she was married to her husband, Jerry, for 65 years. And another Redditor, u/snuggleswithsnifflers, shared that Barb was also a respected fraternity leader:
"In addition to being Jeff’s mom, Barb was a leader in her sorority, Delta Gamma! I’m from her chapter of initiation and she was always so welcoming to the girls at DG convention (which she planned for a long time). She was super musical and did a lot of work recording and preserving songs. ITB Barb ❤️"
Indeed, according to another tribute from Delta Gamma, Barb dedicated 66 years of her life to the fraternity and its music. (Note: Delta Gamma is known as a fraternity rather than a sorority as it was founded before the term sorority was in use.)
It all started in 1958 when the DG member who had been chosen to play the piano at the Delta Gamma Convention was quarantined with measles. Barb stepped up and said she knew all of the songs, then went on to play for the convention. From that point onward, she was often seen at the piano at conventions and other important DG events.
Former Delta Gamma Foundation Executive Director Roxanne Ebner LaMuth said, “Barb will go down in Delta Gamma history as an incredible leader who empowered others to lead. However, it was her contagious energy and beautiful spirit that had a positive and powerful impact on me personally, as well as on thousands of DG sisters throughout North America. The twinkle in her eye and the way she radiated warmth and kindness always put a magical spin on any DG project or task you happened to be working with her on at the time.”
Delta Gamma is collecting funds for the Barbara Bartlett Probst Honorary Scholarship which was set up in conjunction with Barb's family. Further information is available on their website.
Our thoughts are with Jeff and his family, as well as everyone else who is mourning the loss of Barb's light during this difficult time.