Mary Patricia Barker Carey

Mary Patricia Barker Carey, age 77, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. She was born August 5, 1943 to Richard and Eula Barker in Houma, Louisiana. The youngest child of four, she graduated from St. Francis de Sales school and Nicholls State University. Early in her life, she found her passion for teaching; however, she soon transferred that love of students to a love of family. She married Robert Carey in December of 1965 and began the journey of a lifetime, starting a family and regularly committing her life to serving others. Beyond establishing a loving home, she volunteered with various community organizations, including Friends of the Cabildo, the Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera, and the Crosby Center in Highlands, North Carolina, and she immersed herself in any and all parent volunteer activities in her children’s schools. No task seemed too small for Trisha, and she seldom refused an invitation to help.

However, she strove to serve others in any environment; she championed the needs of others, including her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Through this, people viewed her as a person of trust, a person who would see their gifts, and a person who could help them realize potential. A rock in the lives of so many, she quietly spread confidence without taking center stage. She simply elevated those around her without fail. She found beauty in everything from gardening to painting to cooking; she found life in creating things, and that palpable joy helped her connect with people. The doors of her home opened to family and friends, and anyone who knew Trisha felt instantly a part of her home. Relatives and friends would often find a listening ear, a good meal, and a place to land. She, quite simply, created a place where people could be themselves and celebrate life.

Trisha was preceded in death by her mother Eula Pennington Barker, her father Richard Hobbs Barker, and her sister Dr. Ann Barker, MD. She is survived by her husband, Robert L. Carey, Jr., sister Jean Marie McKey, brother Richard Hobbs Barker, III, daughter Suzanne Carey Yaffe (Jason), son Bobby Carey (Ashley), as well as five grandchildren Carter, Grant, and Joe Carey, and Jonah and Eli Yaffe.

Relatives, friends, and family are invited to attend the visitation and funeral service on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at St. Francis Xavier Church, 444 Metairie Road, Metairie, LA. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m., and the service will begin at 12:30. Interment will follow at Metairie Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.