Barbara T. Trainor

Barbara T. (Thompson) Margeson-Keenan-Trainor, 97, of Hingham, formerly of Scituate, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2026. She was a cherished mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, and she will be deeply missed.

Born in Milton, Massachusetts, on May 27, 1929, she was the daughter of the late Charles Milton Thompson and Winifred (Costello) Thompson. Barbara graduated from Thayer Academy in 1946 and Wheelock College in 1950 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Barbara loved teaching in the Scituate School System and for 28 years she touched countless lives of children through multiple generations. During her tenure, she was a curriculum leader and mentor to several teachers. Upon her retirement, she received Citations from the Governor, State Senate and State House of Representatives for her teaching career as well as her participation as a school representative to the Massachusetts State House.

Barbara was predeceased by her former husband, Richard Margeson, and was a beloved wife of the late Frederick Keenan and the late Eugene Trainor. She was also predeceased by her daughters, Gail Cona and Beth Kneib. Barbara joins her late brothers, Charles, John, Robert, Paul and Donald Thompson and her late sister, Patricia Cooley.

Barbara is survived by her son, Richard Margeson, and his wife, Lisa, of Scituate, MA; her son in law, Frederick Kneib of Auburn, WA; and her stepchildren, Sheryl Trainor of White River Junction, VT, Susanne Garvey and her husband, James, of Narragansett, RI, and Melissa Fondoulis of Scituate, MA. She leaves behind 6 grandchildren, 5 step-grandchildren and 3 step great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by many nieces and nephews as well as her close friend Barbara Leavitt.

At Barbara’s 90th birthday celebration, she was asked by a younger relative what her secret was for longevity. Without any hesitation, she said, “keep moving and stay focused”. For years, she exercised, swam and took long walks to “keep moving”. Her favorite walk was from her home to nearby Scituate Harbor. That “short” walk would sometimes take a very long time due to the many friends and former students that would call out to her along the way (“Hi Mrs. Margeson”…or “Mrs. Keenan”…or “Mrs. Trainor” depending on the generation) and stop to laugh and catch up on life and memories. To “stay focused”, Barbara loved reading and attending her book club meetings (more social gatherings of friends than actually reviewing whatever book was supposed to have been read). To get away from her apartment, meet new friends and stay active, Barbara volunteered to be an usher for movies, shows and events at the Linden Ponds Theatre. She also participated in Linden Ponds group debates/lectures on current events and attended many social gatherings, both formal and informal…and, yes, would often meet her friends at cocktail hour, sipping Dewar’s Scotch “on ice”.

A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on November 21, 2026, at Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Road, Scituate, Massachusetts. Relatives, friends and those who knew her are respectfully invited to attend and share their favorite memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barbara’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.