Barbara Jeanne (Quinn) Grasso died on Monday, January 29, 2024 in Chatham, Mass. She was born on June 27, 1947 in Plymouth, MA, the daughter of Thomas and Teresa (McEnroe) Quinn. Barbara was married for 54 years to her beloved husband, George, who predeceased her in June 2023. Barbara was an accomplished artist and teacher.
She spent all of her 35 year career in the Bristol, CT school system, teaching art to all ages, and eventually became systemwide Director of Art. She was beloved by her students and colleagues. On the occasion of being named as Connecticut’s Outstanding Art Educator, Barbara spoke about the importance of visual literacy: “Our task is to make kids literate in the visual language. They need to be able to decode it, and decipher it, and judge it.”
Barbara and George loved Cape Cod, spending weekends and summers there, until moving full time to Harwich once they retired. They added an art studio to their home where Barbara spent many hours on her pastels, oils and watercolors. She was an active member of the Guild of Harwich Artists for many years and served as its President. Her work was recognized at a number of local art shows. She spent summer Mondays at “Art in the Park”, exhibiting and teaching visitors about her work. Barbara was a friend to all she met, always seeing the best in everyone. As a dedicated volunteer at her Church, Holy Trinity of Harwich, Barbara served for many years as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and visiting home bound parishioners.
In addition to George, Barbara was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Dorothy, and her sister-in-law, Judith Grasso. She leaves her sister, Mary Kenney and her husband, Jim; her brother, Dennis Quinn and his wife, Donna; and her brother-in-law, Raymond Grasso. Her Grasso, Quinn and Kenney nieces & nephews (Jennifer, Matthew, Brian, Melissa, David, Maureen, Stephen, and Carolyn) were blessed with her devotion, kindness and ever-present enthusiasm. Barbara drew and painted with them, taught them about shells and her beloved birds along the shore. They would eagerly await the Christmas-time arrival of packages of new mittens along with exotic, hand-made tree ornaments. Their parents would reminisce how Barbara warned them not to stifle their children’s creativity by buying coloring books.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Church, Rt 28 West Harwich, MA. There are no calling hours. Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home is overseeing all final arrangements. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a memorial donation in Barbara’s name to Holy Trinity Church, P.O. Box 428, West Harwich, MA 02671.
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