Barbara Drake Glass

Barbara Joan (née Drake) Glass

May 27, 1953 -July 14, 2025

Barbara Joan, née Drake, Glass passed away peacefully at her winter home in Florida. She leaves behind a beloved husband, Dik Glass, and her two children, Commander Alexander D. Glass, USN (Kate), and Joanna Mae Glass (Marco Silva), and three adored grandchildren: Henry P. Glass (10), Hadley I. Glass (6), and Oliver Atlas Silva (22 months). She leaves her dear brothers: J. William Drake (Anne), Geoffrey Drake (Meredith), and Thomas Drake, MD (Mimi).

Barbara was born in Missoula, MT, where her beloved father Joseph W. Drake, Jr and her mother Beatrice were living as Joe Drake attended law school. They returned to live in Manhattan. After Barbara's brother Bill was born, the family moved to Old Greenwich CT, where Barbara attended North Mianus School, Dundee School, Eastern Middle School, and Greenwich High School, Class of 1971. She attended Newton College of Sacred Heart, then finishing her degree in Art History at Syracuse University in 1976.

Because Barbara loved the Boston area, she returned after college to start working in sales at The Rouse Company at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where she met and fell in love with her soon-to-be husband, Dik Glass. They married in Greenwich CT on January 23, 1982 at Saint Michael's church during a blizzard. After their wedding, they moved back to CT as Dik took a position in New York City. Barbara, the skilled salesperson, immediately found a job selling in the emerging new field of computer-generated graphics for the companies: Scolane, CGI, Schawk, and Matthews International.

She thrived and succeeded in the field and went on to more prestigious Management and Executive roles in these organizations while also becoming a mother of two very energetic and curious children. Barbara grew up in Old Greenwich and loved her hometown; she thought raising her children there was a wonderful generational tradition. She was deeply involved in the community along with her parents and her brother Bill. Barbara served on the board of Perrot Library for some time. Giving back to the community was something she shared with her children when they were growing up.

While they loved living in the Greenwich area and raising their children, Barbara and Dik wanted to impart some of their personal passions with their children, such as outdoor adventures and American history. Vacations were full of learning experiences such as exploring older homes in Nantucket that had been turned into Museums. Dik and Barbara considered themselves so fortunate to have Barbara's family and some of Dik's close by to share in these endeavors and in the joy of raising their children.

Barbara loved art and architecture. She enjoyed going to museums in New York, Boston, and Washington DC frequently. Often accompanied by her father, she attended many art history lectures and exhibits. She enjoyed collecting art, as did her father. In his retirement he took up sculpting, and in her retirement, Barbara became the painter. She was a prolific painter of many different subjects. Some of her most treasured artworks are her landscapes.

In addition to art, Barbara really enjoyed cooking. She loved to make delicious meals and entertain for family and friends. From 1999 to 2020, Dik and Barbara had a vacation home in Mystic CT on the water. They adored having big family gatherings there, especially Thanksgivings, when they could host the whole large family. Barbara and her daughter cooked together and had so much fun preparing the meals.

In addition to her love of art and being the hostess of get togethers, Barbara loved to travel. She and her family traveled on many family vacations. Dik and Barbara took many trips together both in the US and abroad. When dating they went to Italy and met some of Barbara's extended family on her mother's side. They took their children for a grand month-long tour of Australia. Barbara had a semester abroad in college in London, and she and Dik continued traveling to London and Italy many times in the recent past. Barbara and her daughter enjoyed a trip to Paris, France, also within the past decade. Barbara was eager to enjoy the different cultures and see as much as she could during the variety of adventures they shared.

Barbara was a very dear and loyal friend. She maintained her friendships made at every juncture in life. She had so many childhood friends she continued to correspond with and visited often. She had college friends she visited and kept in touch with over the years. She and Dik went to Halifax Nova Scotia to visit an old college friend of hers and had a delightful visit. She also kept friendships she formed at work for years.

When Dik and Barb decided to buy a winter home in FL, Barbara immediately made many good friends who were visiting her almost daily until she passed. She loved her friends dearly, and she was a thoughtful friend in return, always remembering important dates and events. All of her relationships were important to her, but her family were the most cherished above all. She made time for those she cared for and about and took great delight in sharing in their lives.

Barbara will be dearly missed by all of those to whom she meant so very much.

A celebration of life is planned for family and friends in Greenwich CT in late August. Condolences and memories, along with any photographs people would like to share can be posted on this page. The family would enjoy all that you share.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to:

1. Help fight Alzheimer's.

https://donorservices.alz.org/page/FUNTTMPHCMC?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=giving_bing_SL&msclkid=8b36f1c947aa1a932a7399aa4988fd72

2. Support Your Library - Perrot Memorial Library

https://perrotlibrary.org/library-information/support-your-library/