Barbara Hagelin

Barbara Jean Riley Hagelin ("Barb", "Bobbie") passed away peacefully on November 17, 2024 in her home on Otis Reservoir. Barb is predeceased by her beloved husband Robert ("Bob") Hagelin. Barb is reunited with Bob, her lifelong teammate after passing on the day of their 68th wedding anniversary. She is survived by her children Scott, Keith, and Bonnie and their spouses Elaine, Pauline and Ray; her grandchildren and spouses: Eric and Nicole, Kristina and Alex, Justin and Kayla, Casey and Ben, Kevin and Abear, Dan and Shanta, and Sean. Great grandchildren: Cohen, Colette, Link, Fox, Fray, Hopper, Quill, Felix, Levi, Henri, and Max.

Barb was adventurous, creative, athletic, and competitive. She was a true talent who was skilled at water skiing, snow skiing, swimming, scuba diving, bowling, horseback riding, cooking, sewing, crafting, writing, photography, and piano playing. Her adventurous spirit led her to years of camping, boating, and traveling (Barb and Bob traveled the world together). Whether baking homemade pies over a campfire or embroidering a handmade gift, Barb consistently used her talents to bring joy to others. She was a patient teacher who was gracious with her time and knowledge. She certainly taught lots of people to water ski in her lifetime!

Music was a huge part of Barb's life. She excelled as a pianist and formed a band, "The Old Fashioneds" that would travel for years volunteering to bring joy to nursing home residents. She then continued on to volunteer many hours of her time playing piano for local school choral groups, local restaurants, family and friends, and even entertaining boaters on the Otis Reservoir.

Barb grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut with her older sister Gertrude ("Trudy"). Her childhood home was across the street from a baseball field and Barb would frequently fill in when the boys needed an extra player. Baseball and the Boston Red Sox became pillars of Barb's life. She was a relentless Red Sox fan and enjoyed watching their games with family and friends.

Much of her younger years were spent at her grandparent's farm in Gilbertville, Massachusetts. She built her love and respect for animals at a young age, learning to milk cows and care for the animals. Barb's tenderness toward all creatures continued throughout her life - her bird feeders were always full, her pockets were full of peppermints for horses, and treats were always plentiful for the dogs.

In her later 50's she decided to learn how to ride horses. She became an accomplished equestrian in a short time, successfully competing in show jumping for years. Later on, she decided to try her hand at training a miniature horse "Lil Dude" to pull a cart. The two would have years of fun and adventure together often sporting handmade costumes Barb made for them both to meet every occasion with flair.

Barb worked at Bell Telephone Labs after earning her Associate's degree at Centenary Junior College. After a blind date in 1955 revealed a shared love of starting the day with black coffee and ending it with a scotch on the rocks, she married Bob and they became teammates for life. From their marriage in 1956 until the very end, they were partners and best friends. Whether photographing African safaris or water skiing in coordinated costumes, whatever they did, they did it together. Barb was a wonderful cook (which Bob sure appreciated!). Her famous peanut brittle never disappointed and was distributed all over every year to so many families near and far. Her ever-present companion, Bob was there through it all, whether attending her concerts (despite his notable lack of rhythm) or shelling a seemingly infinite amount of peanuts by hand and delivering all the packages.

Barb and Bob's love of the water drew them to lake vacations with the family every summer, tenting and boating. Barb and Bob would eventually settle in East Otis, lakefront on Otis Reservoir where they lived out the last 36 years of their lives surrounded by an amazing community of friends and neighbors. Their house was always open and welcomed all who showed up. So many great memories were made here.

Despite Barb's many accomplishments, her proudest achievement was always her family. She raised three children, loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren dearly, and treated everybody who entered her home with kindness and never-ending homemade cookies. Barb was full of talent, drive, and kindness. Her tenacity and generosity will be missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held at their home at 71 Kibbe Point Road in East Otis, MA on Saturday, December 14th. Beginning at 2pm, we will pay tribute to Barb by giving all those whose lives were touched by her the opportunity to share and listen to stories followed by a toast. From 3-5pm, we will continue to gather and celebrate her life. Just like when Barb and Bob were with us, the doors to the Hagelin home will be open for anybody who wants to stop by.

"Enjoy what you have - right now! This very minute!
Tell all those you love that your life is better because they are in it"
-"Barbara"-