Barbara E. Zanghi

Barbara Elaine (Leonard) Zanghi age 86, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2023, surrounded by family following a long illness with dementia. Barbara was born on July 4, 1937, in Providence, RI. She was the daughter of the late Francis (Kelly) Leonard and Gilbert Leonard.

She grew up in Riverside, RI with two siblings, Doreen (Leonard) Morency and Edward Leonard. She graduated from East Providence High School in 1955 and continued her education at Pawtucket Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, graduating as a licensed practical nurse, in 1958. She worked in both a pediatric hospital and for Hattie Ide Chaffee Nursing Home when she was first married. Barbara later became a full-time homemaker caring for her four children.

Later in life, she studied photography at Providence College taking a particular interest in silk-screen photography. She was an exceptional cook, who had a passion for hosting family and friends for home-cooked meals, whether for the holidays or special occasions. She especially enjoyed hosting large celebrations for her Fourth of July birthday. Her additional interests included interior design, fashion, gardening, and golf. She was a member of Rhode Island Country Club and Briggs Beach, as well as a past member of the Barrington Yacht Club and Squantum Association.

Barbara had a vibrant and spunky personality and was known for forging her own path. She loved music and dancing with her husband Bill, who was a ballroom dance instructor in his teens. When the two of them danced, people cleared the floor and stopped to watch them. Even in her declining years while in memory care at Tockwotton, she was known to dance anytime the music was on.

She met her husband, William (Bill) Zanghi (predeceased) as a teenager at Trinity Repertoire Theater where she was a candy girl, and he was an usher. They celebrated 49 years of marriage, prior to Bill’s passing. Barbara and her family lived in East Providence, RI, later moving to Barrington, RI until retiring to Hanley Farm in Warren, RI.

Following the death of her husband William, Barbara met another William, (Bill) Lynch (predeceased) of Weston, Vermont. They enjoyed many happy years together both in Rhode Island and Vermont.

Barbara is survived by two siblings Edward Leonard and Doreen Morency both of East Providence, RI. She was predeceased by her eldest son, William L. Zanghi who shared her July 4th birthday. She leaves behind her three adult children: Christopher Zanghi (Sharon) of Barrington, RI; Kelly Zanghi-Clark (Robert) of Lakeville, CT, Victoria Zanghi-Brown of East Providence, RI. She also leaves behind eight beloved grandchildren; Carlin Clark and Bryson Zanghi-Clark, Lakeville, CT; Sara Zanghi, East Providence, RI; Benjamin Brown, East Providence, RI; Parker Zanghi-Clark, Boston, MA; Michaela Brown, Deming, WA; James Zanghi and Hannah Zanghi, Barrington, RI and several nieces and nephews.

Her Funeral Service will be held Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 9:00 AM from the Wilbur-Romano Funeral Home, 615 Main Street, Warren followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM in St. Mary of the Bay Parish, 645 Main Street, Warren. Burial will be in Princes Hill Cemetery, Barrington. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to either of the following Hope Health Hulitar Hospice Center, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI, 02904 or RISPCA - 155 Plan Way, Warwick, RI 02886. For directions and tributes, please visit www.wilbur-romano.com..