Obituary of Barbara in its full rendition. Not all newspapers printed the complete version.
Barbara F. (Fitzgerald) Cleary age 80, of Salem formerly of Portland, Ct., wife for 56 years of Robert Emmett Cleary, Jr. died Thursday January 31, 2002 in Salem Hospital.
She was born in Holyoke, MA the daughter of the late George and Barbara (Gibson) Fitzgerald. Following her graduation from Holyoke High School she studied the Philosophy of Life at St. Joseph College, West Hartford, Ct., graduating in 1944. On February 10, 1945 she married her husband Robert Emmett Cleary, Jr. at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. They settled and lived in Portland, Ct., where they lived for over 40 years.
Active in many community activities, she was a member of St. Mary's Altar Guild, the Democratic Town Committee, the Visiting Nurse Association and was co-chair of the PTA. She was also an elected Justice of the Peace.
She was famous for three aspects of her life: family, friends and politics. She created memorable parties at the beach house in Old Lyme, Connecticut, where, especially on the fourth of July, she hosted family, friends, and relatives and sometimes complete strangers to huge parties that invariably included a turkey, a ham, and a giant crock of home cooked baked beans. While it was her husband Robert who was twice elected to the office of First Selectman in Portland, Connecticut, it has been reported that the citizens were also voting for her.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Cleary is survived by her six children, Ellen and her husband Phillip Dube of Merrimack, New Hampshire, James Thomas Cleary of Portland, CT., Robert Emmett III and his wife Alison Cleary of Chelmsford, Ma., Barbara Ann Cleary and her husband David M. Hart of Salem, MA., David and his wife Candace Gray-Cleary of East Hampton, Ct., Michael Thomas and his wife Theresa Cleary of Portland, CT,
10 grandchildren:
Matthew Dube of Northampton, Ma, Kate Dube of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Liza Dube of Merrimack, NH, Alison and Ryan Cleary of Middletown, CT, Brenna and Colin Cleary of Chelmsford, Ma., Robert E. Laumann of the Netherlands and Brendan and Desmond Cleary of Portland, CT.
4 step grandchildren:
Lori Hart and her husband Stephen C. Zippilli of Bethlehem, CT, David B. Hart of Somerville, MA, Daniel C. and his wife Janet Hart of Paris, France, and Stephen D. and his wife Sandra Harte of Westwood, MA
2 step great grandchildren:
Emma V. Harte of Westwood, MA, Nathalie Claire Hart of Paris, France
Several nieces and nephews
She was predeceased by two brothers Thomas and David Fitzgerald.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a memorial Mass this Saturday, Feb 9, 2002 at 11:00 A.M. in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Portland CT. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701. For more information contact the Murphy Funeral Home 85 Federal St., Salem, MA. (978) 744-0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.