Clare B. Barton

Clare Bishop Barton of Glastonbury, wife for nearly 61 years of Charles K. Barton, died peacefully Sunday, March 14, 2010, surrounded by her family. Born in Paterson, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Dr. John Bishop and Margaret Birchenough Bishop. She graduated from East Side High School in Paterson, NJ, and Endicott College in Beverly, MA. Their older sisters, who were friends, encouraged Clare to write to Charles while he was an Ensign assigned to a US Navy ship in the Philippines. They were married in 1949 and celebrated their 60th anniversary on July 2, 2009. In addition to volunteering with many local civic organizations, Clare was a founding member in 1972 of the local Friends in Service Here (F.I.S.H.) group with Margaret Dombrowski. Clare was always a prolific writer and loyal correspondent to friends and family. She published several articles, wrote a column (as Theda B.) for the Glastonbury Players theater group, and acted in several of the group’s productions. She enjoyed collecting grammatical gaffes and New Yorker cartoons, doing crossword puzzles in ink, and was a member of the Red Hot Mamas, a local chapter of the Red Hat Society. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her four children, John Barton (Gail), Sara Barton, Nancy Fellinger (Leif), and Peter Barton; and three grandsons, Jonathan Barton, Patrick Barton, and James Fellinger. She was predeceased by her son Charles K., Jr. The family wishes to extend its thanks to the wonderful caregivers at the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, the Glastonbury VNA, and VNA Hospice team. Calling hours are on Friday, March 19, from 9 AM until 11 AM at the Glastonbury Funeral Home, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury. A service will follow at 11 AM. Clare requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to VNA Health Care, Inc., 103 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105. Please visit www.glastonburyfuneral.com for more info or to leave online condolences.