Barbara Claire Stevens

Barbara C. Stevens, nee Sholik, 86, of Wellfleet, MA, died Saturday evening at her residence at Liberty Common in Chatham. She has gone to be with our Lord and her beloved husband Bob.

Barbara was born in 1931 in Lawrence, MA, the daughter of the late Margaret (Gage) and Joseph Sholik. She grew up in Methuen, graduated from the Edward F. Searles High School, and moved to New York City, where she began her career at the new Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Barbara married Bob Stevens in June 1957. They made their home in Hamden, CT where they raised their five children.

Creating opportunities for their youngest son Paul, born with Down Syndrome, launched Barbara’s lifelong career as a tireless advocate for Paul and other young people with developmental disabilities. She served as the executive director of the New Haven Association for Retarded Citizens and worked every day to open classrooms and educational systems for Paul and his peers. For this work, she received awards and recognition, but her most important achievement was seeing Paul graduate from Nauset High School in 1986 and supporting his independent life in Wellfleet.

Barbara, Bob and Paul moved to Wellfleet in 1984, making their home near the beaches they loved so deeply. Barbara continued her volunteer work in Wellfleet, doing home visits with elderly neighbors, and becoming a national leader of Faith and Light. She was an active member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. After Bob was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1992, they made the most of their time together, visiting beaches and country places throughout the United States and making friends at every turn. They spent every minute possible appreciating their lives together until his death in 1996.

Throughout her life, Barbara was committed to her family, her community, and her church. She was a lifelong caregiver of her husband and son and of her many elderly neighbors and friends. In her last years her friends and family took equally good care of her and she was very blessed to have so many loving caregivers.

Barbara is survived by her five children: Joe, of San Francisco; Margaret and her husband Dorian Schwartz of Stony Brook, NY; Thomas and his wife Liz Schlegel (Kate, August, Cormac) of Waterbury, VT: Daniel (Michael, Elizabeth) of Wellfleet; and Paul of Wellfleet. She was predeceased by her husband Bob and her three siblings Joseph Sholik, Felicia Karpowicz, and John Sholik. She is survived by her sisters-in-law Lana Sholik and Judy Sholik of Salem, NH, and her nieces and nephews. The family wishes to extend their deepest appreciation to the staffs of the Wellfleet Council on Aging, the Wellfleet Alzheimer’s Association, the Eastham Council on Aging, and Elder Services of Cape Cod.

Friends are invited to call at Nickerson Funeral Home in Wellfleet from 9-10:30 AM on Wednesday, August 1, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Lourdes at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Wellfleet Alzheimer’s Association, and please take a walk on the beach, do a little bird-watching, treat yourself to a lobster, and enjoy the Wellfleet sunsets. Remember that everything God created is good (1 Timothy). For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.