Daughter of Irish immigrants, loving grandmother and great–grandmother
Published in the September 17, 2015 edition
MEDFORD — Mary “Mae” Barnard, of Medford, a loving, wife, mother, Nana , and sister, passed away with her family at her bedside on Friday morning, September 11, 2015. She was 91 years old.
Mae was born in Boston, the daughter of Irish immigrants, to the late Anthony and Catherine (Murphy) McGarry. She grew up in Arlington attending St. Agnes School and graduating from Arlington High School in 1942. She married Richard Barnard in 1945 and they lived in Somerville until settling in Medford in 1963. Over the years she had worked as a secretary at Security Fence Company, Silibond Paint Co., and PPG Industries in Somerville where she retired after 15 years. Mae couldn’t sit still in her retirement years so she filled her time by working part time at Cedar Asphalt. She enjoyed her work, her coworkers and being able to provide for her family. Mae had an unassuming manner and was appreciative for whatever she had. She enjoyed oil painting and has left her family with numerous paintings that will always remind them of her. She had a very keen mind and a fantastic memory. She was always reading, doing crosswords, and was a huge Jeopardy fan. In her later years with her vision and hearing declining, Mae was still able to rattle off the Jeopardy answers as soon as they appeared on the screen. She was so quick, that sometimes her family would resent watching the show with her, because they never got a chance to answer any questions. She loved Yahtzee and Poker, bowling, dancing, ice skating, and entertaining. She had a great gift of remembering names and faces and even in the hospital she could still name all the members of “New Kids on The Block.” She enjoyed spending her winters in Florida with her husband and cousins, Anne and Peg Callahan. In Florida she had the opportunity to see her children, grandchildren and great–grandchildren who settled there. She was blessed to visit Ireland, Italy, and Hawaii in her retirement years. And of course, the biggest and most important aspect of Mae’s life was her love and dedication to all her large family. She was simply happy sharing their company, whether it was Sunday dinners, day trips, the endless birthdays, graduations, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, weddings, and any other event or activity where her family was present. Mae’s greatest legacy is that of her family!
Mae was the beloved wife of the late Richard A. Barnard. She was the loving mother of Kathryn O’Brien and her husband Neil of Safety Harbor, FL, Susan DeAmato and her husband John of The Villages, FL, Edward Barnard and his wife Doreen of North Reading, Patricia Barnard of Medford, Nancy St. Pierre of Palm Bay, FL, Barbara Kerins and her late husband Gerald of Wilmington, James Barnard and his wife Tricia of Wilmington and the late Richard Barnard II. She was the sister of Joseph McGarry of Haverhill and the late William McGarry. Mae was the proud “Nana” of Neil P. and Michelle O’Brien, Michelle and Brian Kullman, Lori and Steve Lewis, David DeAmato, Kevin and Becca Barnard, Traci and Pat Spadea, Michael Barnard, Ashley Barnard & Ricardo Felix, Kimberlie Shea and Erica Reynolds, Melissa and Michael Malerba, Jeffrey and Amanda St. Pierre, Matthew and Melissa St. Pierre, Kelli St. Pierre, Kaitlyn Kerins, Jennifer Kerins and Timothy Barnard. She was the great–grandmother of Mackenzie and Madison O’Brien, Nicholas, Thomas and Joseph Kullman, Abigail and Sara Lewis, Nathaniel Barnard, Dillon and Fiona Spadea, Jonathan and Emma Malerba and Cameron St. Pierre.
Her funeral was held from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8:45 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Raphael Church, 512 High St., Medford. Interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. Memorials in Mae’s name may be made to NF Northeast, 9 Bedford St., Burlington, MA 01803 www.nfincne.org
