Mary T. Barter December 05, 2020

Weymouth, Mary T. for ”Terrific” (Hannigan) Barter took her last breath on Dec. 5 at 101 years of age.  When she was asked her secret to her longevity, she replied, “I just keep breathing!”  She was the last surviving of the six children of Michael J. and Ethel (Bean) Hannigan.  She grew up and was educated in Milton, MA.  She attended the Fisher Business College in Boston evenings while she worked for John Hancock Insurance Company, which she happily left to work for the Milton Ice Company.  She married Raymond C. Barter Jan. 15, 1944 and moved to their home in Weymouth in 1948.  When asked her name, she would reply, “ I am Mrs. Raymond Charles Joseph Barter the first, and there will never be a second!”  She was correct as Ray predeceased her in 2005. 

Her devotion to family, church, community and country was detailed in a proclamation from the Mayor of Weymouth on the occasion of her 100^th birthday party on May 18, 2019, which the mayor designated as “Mary Barter Day”.

She was an enthusiastic member of Sacred Heart Church in Weymouth Landing.  She was a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin and served as a Eucharistic Minister at the South Shore Hospital. 

Mary encouraged and supported her daughters’ interests, starting Troop 4 of Massachusetts Girl Scouts.  She was the first recipient of the Saint Anne Award for her leadership in Scouting.  Later she became an officer in the Civil Air Patrol while her daughters were cadets. 

She was a life member of the Auxiliaries of both Veterans of Foreign Wars, serving as District 5 President and the American Legion, serving as George R. Bean Post Auxiliary President.

At one time, she was the only female wood carver at the Whipple Center class so that Ray would continue to participate. 

From dental assisting to executive secretary, New England Harness Racing Association and then Semline Publishing in Braintree, she was a reliable and well-liked employee.  She always made time to volunteer.  She was a Meals on Wheels delivery assistant until mid-March of this year.

She and Ray enjoyed traveling, from Africa to Europe, Ireland, the Panama Canal and the Holy Land.  They also visited most of the United States, including Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii.

Like many of her generation, Mary saved anything that might be of value to someone in the future.  Her magazine and newspaper clippings were the basis for many of her daughters’ school projects and years later (after they flew the nest) no letter from home was without newspaper clippings.  She took cake decorating lessons as a young mother and decorated many homemade cakes, including her daughter Nancy’s wedding cake with love and skill.  Mary’s flower and vegetable gardens flourished and were much admired.  She preserved, pickled, and made jelly out of her bounty or from that of neighbors and others who let her pick their grapes, blueberries and rhubarb.  She also picked dandelions to make wine, for medicinal purposes only, of course.  Mary loved nature, especially animals and adopted a succession of Boston Terriers to keep her and Ray company. She could beach comb all day and loved collecting shells.  Birds fascinated her and to her last days, clouds sparked her imagination.

She was hard-headed, outspoken, generous and warm-hearted.  Her gift of gab predated her kissing the Blarney Stone!  No one was a stranger to her for long.  She didn’t take herself too seriously and had fun being silly.  Her energy was amazing and she rarely complained.  After retirement, she walked to daily Mass for many years, picking up dropped coins along the way.  With friends pitching in their change, she sent hundreds of dollars over the years to Native American and other charities.  Again with the help of friends, she collected many pounds of aluminum tabs for charity.  She wasn’t afraid to try different things like gliding in a sailplane and sailing six times on a windjammer in Penobscot Bay.  She was introduced to Indian and Thai cuisine in her later years and added those foods to one of her favorite pastimes – eating.  She was a wonderful cook: no family gathering was complete without her potato salad.  The world will be less for her passing!

She leaves, to miss her dearly, her daughters, Mary Elizabeth Craig (Kent Farlow) of Yarmouth Port and Nancy Packer Baez of Halifax, MA.  She will also be missed by her grandchildren, Monique J. O’ Leary (Keith) of Gilford, NH; Aimee Glowka (Michael) of Plymouth, MA; Jolene Packer (Dan Weir) of Halifax, MA and Steven Craig (Thu Oanh Dang) of Braintree, MA.  She leaves four great grandchildren, Zackery Peterson, David and Timothy Glowka and Joshua Dang Craig; a nephew, Francis McKeough of California and several Hannigan cousins in Milton.

Her family thanks all of Mary’s friends and neighbors for their kindness.  A special thank you to CarePro Adult Day Health Program and staff for enriching her days while she aged at home.  In her memory, please contact and old friend, smile at a stranger, help someone in need and proudly fly the flag of the United States.  In her words, “There is nothing more beautiful than to see the American flag flying!” Funeral from the Clancy-Lucid Funeral home 100 Washington St. Weymouth Landing on Friday December 11 at 10 Am. Funeral Mass in the Sacred Heart Church Weymouth at 11 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Visiting hours on Thursday from 4 until 8 PM. Face masks are required. Social distancing is strictly enforced.  To register to attend funeral mass or to watch broadcast online, call Sacred Heart rectory Tuesday or Wednesday (10am to 2pm) at 781-337-6333.  Burial in Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne at 1:30 PM.