Barbara E. (Conway) O'Toole

1925 - 2014

CLINTON

Barbara E. (Conway) O'Toole, 89, of 150 Chace St., died Sunday, December 28, 2014 in Clinton Hospital, after being stricken ill at home.

She is survived by three sons: Martin L. O'Toole and his wife, Elizabeth Hart, of Beverly, Terrence J. O'Toole and his wife, Mary Patulak, of Union, CT, and Timothy J. O'Toole and his wife, Ellen, of Clinton; two daughters: Kathleen F. Kilcoyne and her husband, Brendan, of Northborough, and Barbara C. O'Toole of Clinton; 11 grandchildren: Martin J., Teresa, and Emily O'Toole, Brendan Kilcoyne, Caitlin Kilcoyne Riga, Jennifer Patulak Songer, Robyn O'Toole, Matthew Kobus, Timothy J. O'Toole, Jennifer Kosinchuk, David O'Toole; two great-grandchildren, Jackson Kinney and Lily Riga. She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Martin F. "Pinky" O'Toole, and their grandson, Colin J. Kilcoyne, both of whom died in 2011. Three siblings, Leroy Conway, Joseph Conway, and his wife, Therese, and Doris Butkiewicz and her husband, John, also predeceased her.

Barbara was born and raised in Leicester, daughter of Joseph W. and Emma (Greenwood) Conway. She was a graduate of Leicester High School and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Clark University, Worcester, as a member of the University's first class of female graduates, in 1946. Barbara then went on to earn a Master's Degree from Boston University, in 1949. Following her marriage in 1950, Barbara and her husband, Pinky, settled in his hometown, Clinton, where they raised their family.

As a school teacher, Barbara loved working with her students, and sharing her love of the English language. She did so from 1947-1950, as a teacher in the Clinton, CT, school district, then from 1962-1966 at the former Our Lady of the Rosary School, Clinton, MA. In 1970, she began teaching in the Clinton, MA School System, in both the Middle and High Schools, where she remained until her retirement in 1989.

Barbara was a member of the former Our Lady of the Rosary Church, and loved spending time in the company of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

She enjoyed spending her school summer vacations, and the 25+ years following her retirement, with Pinky and their family at their home on Cape Cod. A prolific letter writer to her family and friends, she loved to play the piano, and to paint. As a youth, she won an award for her art from the Worcester Art Museum, and continued to produce beautiful pieces throughout her adult life and into retirement, including those on wood, and her renowned Christmas ornaments, which are lovingly displayed each year in the homes of her family and friends. She enjoyed visiting craft fairs and art shows from Beverly to Cape Cod, and met many wonderful friends and colleagues in the art community. In her retirement, Barbara enjoyed reading, puzzles, knitting Irish and cable sweaters, and watching Mass and the Rosary on television. A beloved teacher and matriarch, she was a true renaissance woman, who shared her many gifts with those who were fortunate to know her.

Barbara's funeral will be held on Wednesday, December 31, 2014 from the McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church St., with a Mass at 1:30 p.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church, 80 Union St. Burial will follow in St. John's Cemetery, Lancaster. Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours at the funeral home on Tuesday, December 30, 2014, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. For those who wish, the family suggests that memorial donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675, or to the USO, 427 Commercial St., Building 8, Deck 2, Boston, MA 02109.