Barbara was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 19, 1932, to Thomas and Helen (Mazeski) Keane. She grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The family moved to Massachusetts in 1951 and Barbara graduated from Holyoke Hospital as a Registered Nurse. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Boston University in 1956.
Barbara’s professional nursing career spanned four decades and she maintained a lifelong passion for the dignified care of children and the elderly. She served as Director of Skilled Nursing at several facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Married to Edward P. Vigneau on July 13, 1957, the couple celebrated their 60th anniversary last summer. They have five children--Joan, Mary Jean, Judy, Laura, and Andrew. They lived in Connecticut from 1957-1992 and raised their family in Windsor Locks, Simsbury and Madison. Barbara is survived by her husband and children, and Joan's husband, Daniel Roy, Andrew's fiancé, Holly MacMillan, and 11 grandchildren.
Barbara’s grandchildren were her great joy and she spent much of her later life devoted to planning and participating in adventures with each of them. They are Matt, Jason, and Zach Roy, Sam and Alexandra Wuest, Serena, Andrea, and Lacey Chestnut, Lydia and Lieren Vigneau, and Jacob Vigneau. Some of the family's happiest memories are of time spent on Marco Island, Florida.
In addition to her family and friends, Barbara enjoyed traveling to many countries throughout Europe and China, where she was present for the adoption of her beloved granddaughter, Lydia.
A resident of Naples since 2000, Barbara was an avid reader, card player, puzzle solver and writer. Her faith was a source of strength throughout her life, right up through her recent physical challenges.
She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Thomas Donald Keane.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on July 10, 2018, at St. William Catholic Church in Naples.
A memorial service will be held in the northeast in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Jimmy Fund.
DONATIONS
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18