Shrewsbury – Barbara Ann Holmes, 87, of Shrewsbury, died on May 25, 2021 at her home. She spent her last days being cared for by her children with the support of VNA Hospice Care.
She is mourned by her daughters, Lorri Demers of West Boylston, Tracy (Michael Schramm) Holmes of Fayetteville, N.Y., and Karen (Barbara Malone) Holmes-Malone
of Holden; her grandchildren, Brian (Amanda) and Neil (Jessica Levine) Demers, Emery and Louisa Schramm, and Matthew and Sarah Malone; her great-grandchildren, Lucia and Sierra Demers; her sister, Betty Lou Robertson; her sister-in-law, Linda (William) Skillen; and her nieces, nephews, and their families. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 65 years, Robert Holmes; her son-in-law, Luke Demers; her brothers, Donald and Philip Ware; and her infant sister, Mary Lou Ware.
Barbara was born on Oct. 20, 1933 in Worcester to (James) Milton Ware of Woodstown, N.J. and Madeline Frances Dodge Ware of Worcester. They met, married, and settled in Worcester to raise their children. With the Great Depression and a serious accident that kept her father out of work for two years, Barbara’s family struggled financially during her childhood. For a time the family of six lived in a two-bedroom apartment and then later in a few rooms in her grandmother’s boarding house where 12 people shared a single bathroom.
Despite the hardships, she had fond memories of growing up with her hardworking father, her warm, loving mother, and her spirited siblings who remained close for their entire lives. Like many families of that generation, they learned to make much out of very little and enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
As a teenager, Barbara enjoyed time with her friends and was active in her church’s youth group. She was a smart and dedicated student, graduating from Classical High School in 1951. She began her college studies at Clark University after receiving a full-tuition scholarship. After a slight misstep in which she dropped out of college after her first year, she returned to Clark University and graduated with honors with a degree in Mathematics in 1956.
It was at Clark that Barbara met many lifelong friends as well as the love of her life. She and Bob married on September 10, 1955, at The First Congregational Church in Worcester. Soon after Barbara completed her degree, Bob was drafted into the Army, sending the newlyweds to Maryland for two years where they both worked at the Aberdeen Proving Ground on one of the very first computer systems. After returning to Massachusetts, they lived for a few years in Framingham before settling permanently in Shrewsbury to raise their family.
Upon their return from Maryland, Barbara worked for two more years before dedicating her next decade to raising their three daughters. She returned to the workforce in 1972 doing systems analysis for State Mutual Life Assurance Company and then Waters Corporation. Barbara set a valuable example for her children as a woman who was a smart mathematician and analyst, making challenging career choices, yet also a gracious, concerned, and loving mother.
Her daughters never questioned whether females could succeed and excel in what were then mostly males’ areas of skill and expertise. Here she was ahead of her time.
As a stay-at-home mom in the sixties and early seventies, Barbara’s main priority was raising and caring for her three girls and the family home. Her door was always open to family and friends, her own as well as those of her children. She had a knack for making people feel welcome and at home and together with Bob hosted many gatherings both inside and poolside. Barbara was also a leader for the Camp Fire Girls for many years and the volunteer treasurer for the First Congregational Church in Shrewsbury. She enjoyed morning coffee, playing tennis, and playing bridge with her friends in town. Her love and talent for bridge lasted her entire life.
Barbara enjoyed time away from home, starting with long summer visits to a family farm in Waldoboro, Maine as a child. As a teenager she spent time on the Cape working for a vacationing family. As Bob and Barbara’s own family grew, there were many camping vacations all along the East Coast, with favorites including the lakes and mountains of western Maine, the dune-backed beaches of the outer Cape, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, and especially a yearly trek to Myrtle Beach, S.C. each April. In later years, after their daughters were grown, Bob and Barbara took yearly trips to Barbados where they loved the pristine and empty beaches on the Atlantic side of the island. Later still they spent ever increasing amounts of time in Pompano Beach, Fla. each winter, enjoying the warmth, sun, and sand that Shrewsbury couldn’t provide.
Barbara took great pleasure and pride in her family and watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow and succeed. At the center of her life was her marriage and faithful devotion to Bob. Their bond was grounded in love and mutual support, and although they each had their own interests, they shared a strong sense of values and dedication to family and friends.
There will be no calling hours or services at this time. The family is planning a private remembrance later this summer where they will spread the ashes of both Barbara and Bob in the ocean off Cape Cod.
