Robert Alfred Barbary

Robert Alfred Barbary, of Scituate, passed away on April 29, 2021, peacefully, at the Pat Roche Hospice House in Hingham, MA. He was predeceased by his parents, George and Helen Barbary, his brother William, and his wife of 50 years, Joan Barbary (née Costello.) He is survived by his wife, Grace Joanne (Crowley) Barbary (née Dutelle). He is also survived by his six children: Paula (Patrick) Shannon of Baie-D’Urfé, Quebec, Maura (Janice) Barbary of Marshfield, MA, Kevin (Deborah) Barbary of Scituate, MA, Brian (Kay) Barbary of San Antonio, TX, Joanne (Jeffrey) Goguen of Gray, ME, and Kathleen (Randall) Lambert of Nashua, NH, and his grandchildren: James, Liam, and Conor Shannon, Kevin (Rebecca) and Sean Barbary, Justin and Emily Barbary, Robert and Katherine Morency, and Elizabeth Janiak. He will also be missed by Joanne’s children: Jay (Lisa) Crowley, John (Kerri) Crowley, and Janet (Joseph) Donato, as well as their children: Lucas Crowley, and Aidan and Maddie Crowley.

Bob will be missed by his friends, members of the community, and parishioners at Saint Mary of the Nativity in Scituate, MA.

Robert was born in Pittsburgh, PA, where he attended North Catholic High School and played guard for the Trojans’ football team. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, class of 1955, where he played football for the Midshipmen. One highlight of his active duty service, after completing his degree, was to serve on the USS Heermann (DD-532) and stand as Honor Guard at the wedding of Princess Grace and Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. He was subsequently stationed at the Naval Air Station South Weymouth, at which time he met his future wife, Joan, and settled on the South Shore, first in Merrymount and then in his beloved Scituate. Bob received his MBA in 1971 from Boston College, and went on to have a successful career in the burgeoning high-tech industry. It would be a coin toss to state whether his allegiance and pride in having attended the Naval Academy was outrivalled by his support for Boston College football through the years. One thing is certain: in early December, “Go Navy!” was the only appropriate cheer in the Barbary household.

Bob’s greatest achievements came post-retirement: his work in the church and the community spanned many activities and programs. Parishioner of the Year in 2010, Bob was an active member of St. Mary of the Nativity Parish of Scituate. He participated as a daily communicant, Lector, Parish Council member, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference member. His faith and his parish provided great comfort to him during both trying times and good. A veteran supporter of youth sports, and a seasoned coach, Bob never missed his grandchildren’s sporting events: his calm assistance from the sidelines or stands was always welcomed. There were weekends that saw him drive from the cross-country trails at Thayer Academy to the gridiron at Milton Academy and Williams College, or from Scituate to the hockey rinks at Phillips Exeter Academy. He had recently added curling to his routine, and had become surprisingly proficient in all things rocks, bonspiels, and brooms.

Bob cherished golfing. He was always eager for spring and his return to Men’s League at Widow’s Walk Golf Course. He regaled us with tales of competitions and wagers that seemed to imply high stakes; we knew, of course, that the amounts exchanged were meager, and much beside the point.

Bob will be remembered as having led an exemplary life of duty, honor, and decency. His love and commitment to family, whose numbers were extended again when he married Joanne in 2011, defined him. A deeply principled man, Bob’s dignity was respected by friends and family. His work ethic was unparalleled, and successfully passed down through two generations. While his grandchildren may never know the abject terror of color-coded chore charts (once a Midshipman always a Midshipman), they all experienced the wonderful warmth of his encouraging Bravo Zulu.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary of the Nativity Church, 1 Kent Street, Scituate, MA at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 6th. Family and close friends are invited to a private visitation from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at the Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home, 382 First Parish Road in Scituate. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pat Roche Hospice House, c/o the NVNA and Hospice Charitable Fund, 120 Longwater Drive, Norwell, MA 02061 or the Scituate Community Christmas, 125 Mann Lot Road Scituate, MA 02066.

Immediately following the Mass, the family invites all those present to join them for a military funeral honors ceremony at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Meeting House Lane, Scituate, MA.

For family and friends.wishing to virtually view the funeral Mass and military honors ceremony, please use the link below to access the livestream. Note that wifi reception can be intermittent at the service site. If any delays in reception do arise, a video of the services will be posted online soon after the ceremony.

Link for Livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/964048