Barbara Roufs was an American drag race trophy girl who was known for her mind-blowing performance in the 1970s drag racing competition in Southern California. But, unfortunately, in January 1991, the prominent drag racer made everyone shocked by committing suicide at the age of 47. The reason behind her suicide is still unknown.
As for her personal life, Roufs was the mother of two kids. She also had a granddaughter from one of her daughter’s relationships. Although Roufs died early, many people still wonder to know about her.
Well, here are a lot of facts you should know about Barbara Rofu including her life before death, the reason behind her suicide, and her net worth.
Barbara Roufs’ Bio
She was born in 1944 in the United States. As far as her ethnicity is concerned, Barbara is Caucasian and belongs to American nationality. Talking about her schooling, Roufs attended a local private school in her hometown.
Her Parents; Mother Died at 86
Barbara was born to her parents Thelma Ruby Riley and Wayne Eldon Riley. Her mother Thelema was born on May 26, 1919, in Alva, Oklahoma. She owned a beauty salon and worked there for 50 years. She also worked as the organist for different churches like the Church of the Nazarene, Calvary Bible (Bullard), and Baptist Valley Bible as well. On the other hand, Barbara’s father’s information is not available yet.
Talking about Barbara’s parent’s marriage, they met in 1942 and exchanged their vows in 1947. Barbara’s parents were together until her mother died on June 24, 2005. Her late mom was 86 at the time of her passing.
Siblings Of Barbara
Roufs had 2 brothers along with one sister named, Vivian Deaton, James Riley, and Bruce Riley. According to the sources, it is confirmed that Barbara also had one brother who was adopted by her parents named Ben Gube.
Career Details: Barbara Roufs Was a Drag Race Trophy Girl
Roufs began her career in the early 1970s as a drag racer. With her gorgeous figure and playful personality, Barbara gradually made her own spot as a favorite trophy girl in Southern California drag racing in the ’70s.
Although most of the trophy girls were a bit younger than her at the time, her solid body feature made her a fan favorite driver. Along with her then-burgeoning racing career, Roufs also became a part of several sports promotional agencies. Not only that but one of the elite racing photographers Tom West also took her photo.
Moreover, Roufs also became the queen of the 6th annual U.S. Professional Dragster Championship at Orange County International Raceway.
Barbara Also Did Modelling
Once Roufs’ racing career started taking off, the trophy girl gradually also began her career as a model. She later became part of several manufacturers and other businesses.
Most notably, Roufs was featured in the magazines like Drag News and Super Stock every month, promoting several branded sports items.
Was Barbara Roufs Ever Married to Anyone? Her Daughters
Unlike her professional life, the details about her love life hadn’t been much in the media. This is why most people are still quite curious to know whether or not Barbara was married to her husband ever. Unfortunately, the answer still remains a big mystery.
But, as a matter of fact, Roufs was already the mother of two daughters at the age of 29. Her one daughter’s name is Jet Dougherty. Furthermore, Barbara also has one granddaughter named Crystal Dougherty. She is the daughter of Jet Dougherty. On the other hand, the information about Rofu’s second daughter, nevertheless, is still not known.
Similarly, Barbara never revealed the name of her baby’s father.
Barbara Roufs’s Death and Cause for Her Demise
As we said earlier Roufs isn’t more with us. She was a trophy girl and drag racer. A few years after quitting her work as the trophy girl, Roufs, sadly, committed suicide in January 1991. She left the world at the age of 47.
The reason behind her death is not known to anybody yet. On her recent death anniversary, her daughter and granddaughter shared a message about her passing,
“She was well known and loved. That beautiful knockout of a woman is my mother. I can’t tell you how surprised I am to see these photos published: of her, and she would be so proud; those were some of her best moments in life, some of her happiest days. She lived a fascinating life.
Dougherty added,
Unfortunately, she lived a very short life. She passed away in January of 1991 at the age of 47. I know this would be very exciting for her to see that she is on the World Wide Web: her biggest dream to come true everybody gets to see her beauty. Thank you for taking out the time to celebrate my mom. She committed suicide.”
Physical Features of Barbara Roufs
Roufs was one of the most beautiful women of the era. With her perfect broad straightened hair, easy-breezy freedom tanks, and old sixties gogo boots, having all these personalities, Barbara was an ideal candidate for the trophy girl.
Net Worth
Barbara’s net worth at the time of death was $1.5 million. She mostly made her money from her career as a drag racer and model. The salary of a professional drag racer is estimated at $150,000 per year at present.
