Joan Winifred Barry 01/08/2018

Joan Winifred (Wallace) Barry died on January 8th,2018 at home in Braintree, where she had lived since 1962. She was present until the end, with a stream of visitors from all seasons of her life. “Joanie Wallace” was born and raised in Roxbury and grew up around the corner from her then future husband Phil’s family. She described herself as unprepared to be a wife, homemaker, and mother, but she was a great success at all three. As her family aged up, she used bookkeeping skills she acquired at Quincy College and went to work in the jewelry business with E.H. Saxton and DeScenza in Boston, until retiring in her mid-70s. She solved crossword puzzles in ink and shared books by her favorite authors with family and friends. She groaned at bad puns and fell for jokes, even if it meant picking up the lunch tab. Joan greeted everyone with the nicest smile. She was a constant recipient of postcards, notes, calls and visits from her friends and extended family, especially her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for whom she was always there to hear news and talk, but never with judgment or unasked-for instructions on what one should do. She enjoyed family get-togethers, many of which became traditions, such as a monthly Barry Lunch or hosting an annual Saturday breakfast at The Goldenrod in York Beach, Maine for anyone that came. Joan enjoyed her neighborhood friends and their children, remained close to her Holy Trinity High School classmates, and talked about activities at Norfolk House. Later she began going to the Braintree Senior Center and made a new group of Bingo friends that she truly enjoyed, saying that they came along at the right time. Joan was married to Philip J. Barry Jr. for 57 years until he died in 2011. She was the daughter of the late Coleman E. and Marion Wallace of Boston. She loved her children and their spouses: Mark and his wife Michele of Duxbury, Michael and his wife Donna of Dighton, Paul and his wife Maureen of North Attleboro, Jane and her husband Francis McGourty of Walpole, Marie and her husband Christopher Parsons of Mansfield, and Rose and her husband Robert Teele of Norwood. Grandmother of Caitlin, Mark Ryan and Timothy Barry; Matthew Cohen, and Jessica and her husband Robbie Loud; Meghan and her fiancé James Norris, Michael and his wife Meredith, Philip, and Julia Barry; Alison and Thomas McGourty; Daniel and his wife Lauren, Brian, James and Grace Parsons. Great-grandmother of Joshua and Julia Cohen, Ava, Mackenzie and Khloe Loud. Sister to Coleman (Ted) Wallace and his late wife Mary Louise (Lou) of Abington, David Wallace and his wife Kathleen of Manassas, Virginia, and siblings Donald and Margaret who died in infancy. She was close to her brothers and sisters-in-law and aunt to many nieces and nephews. Visiting hours at the Clancy-Lucid Funeral Home, 100 Washington St. Weymouth Landing on Friday, January 12th from 3 until 8 pm. Funeral from the funeral home on Saturday, January 13th at 9:00 am. Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church Weymouth at 10:00 am. Relatives and friends are invited. Burial service at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, MA on Monday, January 15th at 10 am. If desired, donations may be made to Sacred Heart Church, 55 Commercial St., Weymouth, MA 02188 or Agassiz Village, 238 Bedford St., Suite 8, Lexington, MA 02420. Grateful thanks to the Home Health Aides from Bayada and the Nurses from South Shore Hospice who provided care and assistance with compassion and professionalism. For directions and messages, see clancylucid.com.