Barbara Parry Obituary

Parry, Barbara
Barbara Parry, née Pfeiffer, (12/6/1924 - 7/3/2018) was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Detroit. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in French from the University of California at Berkeley, and also studied at the University of Laval, Quebec. She married Adam M. Parry in 1948, and had three children. She earned an M.Phil. from Yale University in 1972.
She moved to the East Rock neighborhood in New Haven in 1965, and taught French at Southern Connecticut State College from 1966 until her retirement in 1989, after which she continued to teach as an adjunct for several years, focusing on English literature and designing her own original courses. She was an enthusiastic and motivated educator dedicated to bringing the pleasures of reading and knowledge to anyone who was open to them.
She had a wide circle of friends of of all ages, from all over the world, including college friends, students past and present, colleagues, fellow dog-walkers, and kindred spirits from all walks of life. Her house was always a hive of activity and center of conversation and cultural commentary. She was a lover of books and literature, a great proponent of French culture, and a lover of nature. She traveled extensively and shared her experiences in writing and speech. Her charm and sense of humor were a delight to friends and family, and survived all adversity.
In her later years she devoted herself to her grandchildren and provided them with many unforgettable experiences. She was an inspiration to many people, and she will be missed in New Haven and beyond.
She is survived by two children, Stephen Parry of Los Angeles, and Catherine Parry Marcial of Bloomfield, New Jersey, 11 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. There will be a memorial service for Barbara in the near future; please contact Catherine Marcial, [email protected], for more information. If desired, donations can be made in Barbara's name to the Center for Biological Diversity, www.biologicaldiversity.org, or the Smile Train, www.smiletrain.org.

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Published by The New Haven Register on Jul. 7, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for Barbara Parry

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7 Entries

Eric Mankin

July 1, 2024

As we now are at the sixth anniversary of Barbara's passing, it seems to me that very few of her generation are still around any more. Just this June I lost my aunt Marion, at 95. She had a full life and a rapid decline - what more can one ask for? I miss her, and I miss Barbara, and her dog Bruno who I was responsible for during the summer of 1978.

Migdalia

December 21, 2022

May you forever rest in peace Barbara, you were my favorite customer and I was your dedicated mail lady! God has a great place for you in heaven

Eric Mankin

July 28, 2020

I was just reading Thucydides about the Plague in Athens, which reminded me of my undergraduate years at Yale, and the summers I spent living on Barbara's back porch on Cold Spring Street and taking care of Bruno, her dog at the time. Our families had known each other a long time - my dad was a French Lit professor at UMass / Amherst, and the same age as Barbara. Barbara's house was my first experience in living on my own, although of course I was not on my own - there were a constant cast of Barbara's friends and lodgers who provided perspective and comaraderie during those summers of 1978 and 1979. Thanks Barbara for providing such a wonderful refuge. You made a difference to me.

September 24, 2018

A lover of the French language, I had the good fortune of meeting Barbara Parry, first as a student in several of her courses at Southern Connecticut State University and later as a tenant in her beautiful home in New Haven. As a student, after I expressed a desire to travel to France, Mme. Parry introduced me to a French family who hosted me in their home during a summer stay. It was a life-changing experience. I was immersed in the French culture, and I learned so much from this very generous and welcoming family. Mme. Parry's home was also a cultural experience, where one was introduced to interesting and passionate people who shared a curiosity about life-the past and present. Dinner parties chez Mme. Parry fed the mind and the body. Exquisite dishes like boeuf bourguignon, fine wine, French literature, provocative conversations in both French and English filled in equal measure with laughter and deep thinking-all thanks to Barbara Parry. Years later, after I was married and had my first child, Mme. Parry gave me a tape recording of French folk songs for children. I played it daily for my children, and it helped develop their linguistic skills. Barbara, always the teacher. What I learned from her-words are precious and passion feeds the heart, mind, and soul. I thank Barbara Parry for her friendship, her wisdom, and her joie de vivre. Barbara, you have touched the lives of many. Your lessons will live on.

To Barbara Parry's family, please accept my condolences. She was a remarkable and inspiring person. She will always hold a place in my heart.

Lynne Levesque-Andree

2014- Me and Grand-mere in her backyard

Celia Parry

July 9, 2018

These beautiful Cherry Blossom trees will always remind me of walks with my grand-mere in Wooster Square...

Celia Parry

July 9, 2018

Naoko Morimoto

July 7, 2018

Deep condolences from Japan. Barbara showed me the model for good late-stage life -- living independently and charmingly at her house always filled with laughter and conversations, calls, visitors and tenants, and Decca. I don't know how to thank her for giving me such a wonderful year staying at her house and sharing time with her in late 1990s. Seeing her life style gave me lots of ideas to think about life, family , career, happiness, and so on. Our friendship continued and it was my great pleasure to see her in summers in 2015 and 2017. It is such a loss not to be able to see her any more, but she lives in my heart and I will pass on what she gave me to the next generation. Rest in peace, dearest Barbara.

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