Barbara Claire Oliver

Barbara delighted in hearing about her children and grandchildren and even remembered where each grandchild was working or going to school. She enjoyed traveling with her son and daughter to all parts of the Northeast, from the Thousand Islands in upper New York to the Mount Washington Hotel where she accused us of leaving her in the lobby for some stranger to find. She enjoyed her trips to Gloucester and the coast of Maine with her daughter and earlier with her mother, Dorothy Dewey. She had to be ejected from her son Stephen’s condo in New Hampshire because “she felt very comfortable” and his arriving guests could go elsewhere. She was a strong, quiet, “true New Englander” and would never live in Florida, “that wild place” despite many invitations and threats of granny napping. Towards the end of her life Barbara thoroughly enjoyed her mother/daughter telephone conversations sometimes up to 5 times a day. Simple things in life, like talking to her sister Jane, and including visits from the O’Brien’s, Lauren, Matt and Gail. Barbara’s remembrances of her mother’s family were a great source of interest to her.

Barbara lost her husband, Joe Oliver, December 14, 1982. She retired from Peerless Insurance and lived by herself until July of 2012 when she fell at home. The last two years she spent at Genesis Nursing home. She was very comfortable there and she enjoyed all the people who cared for her. Thank you,

Rachel. As Barbara decided to leave this veil of tears, she was comforted by her niece, Danielle Chadwick, her nephew, Nathan O’Brien and his wife, Leslie, her nephew Mathew O’Brien and his wife Gail, And her younger sister, Jane O’Brien. She also was joined by her daughter, Cheryl Soones, via FaceTime.

Barbara enjoyed her ninetieth birthday just two weeks prior to her passing. 40 members of her family joined Barbara at a reception at the Marriott and celebration luncheon at Olive Garden. When we offered to shut down the festivities if she was tired, she said no, she was going to the Olive Garden for a Glass of Rosé.