Barbara Ann Maciel

Barbara Ann (Vincent) Maciel of Tiahs Cove Rd West Tisbury lost her battle with dementia on June 6, 2025. Barbara was born on September 19, 1942 in Oak Bluffs. She spent her childhood between her Grandmother Webb's 1660 house, Grandmother Nelly Vincent's house and her parents' house in North Tisbury. As a child she had a milk cow named "Buffalo". One day Buffalo made her way into the onion patch and had sores all over her mouth. Barbara had to make her way to Leslie's Drug Store to get Lavoris to put on the sores in her mouth. This began Barbara's love for animals.
As she was pushing her nephew in a baby carriage in Vineyard Haven she met the love of her life Robert. On March 19, 1960 Barbara Ann Vincent and Robert Everett Maciel were married at the Lamberts Cove Church on Lamberts Cove Rd in West Tisbury.
While cleaning houses with her mother and grandmother in 7 Gates Farm she took her young boys with her. Ironically, the Maciel family immigrated from the Azores to work at 7 Gates Farm. Barbara enjoyed hunting for buried bottles and had built quite an impressive collection of them. When her boys were young, she would take them all over the island to pick beach plums and blueberries.
Barbara had a passion for genealogy and island history. She was very interested in island history because a lot of her family, the Webbs, Nortons, and Vincents were the first settlers on Martha's Vineyard. She was an EMT for years and was a big part of helping start the Tri-Town Ambulance. When there were large fires Barbara along with Betty Haynes, Debby Athearn and many others would make food for the firemen. Barbara was very proud of all of her husband and 5 boys for serving on the volunteer Fire Department. She was on the West Tisbury Park & Rec Committee for many years.
Barbara opened her home to 38 Foster Kids over the years. She wanted these kids to feel loved and have a better life growing up than she did. She drove the school bus (and VTA) for 32 years. Two generations of kids including her own children and grandchildren. Barbara loved her family. Her favorite holidays were Thanksgiving and Christmas. She loved being able to cook a 20 something pound turkey and have 20 or so family and friends gather around her table. Her son Robert did their Christmas stockings for years. She loved it when the Scrub Oak Gang got together and went deer hunting. She loved seeing the house filled with old and new friends.
In later years Barbara took up rug hooking. She was the designated driver on many rug hooking weekend workshops. We loved to tease her that she was the driver of a bunch of hookers. Many of her rugs could be seen hanging at the barn at the Ag Hall with blue ribbons hanging from them. Her most prized rug was of the Medicine Man Luther Madison. Barbara had a strong connection to the Wampanoag Tribe through her grandmother Nelly. Everyone who walked through her door was treated like family. She gave the best hugs!
Barbara is survived by her husband Robert Sr, and sons Robert Jr (Pauline), Steven (Laurie), Kevin, Seth Vincent (Heather), Keith (Lara), 13 Grandchildren, 13 Great Grandchildren, and her sister Lucia Small. She is predeceased by her parents Chester and Hannah Vincent, sister Shirley Kaeka, brothers Walter, and twins Warren and Jared.
A celebration of life will be held on September 6, 2025 at the PA Club 137 Vineyard Ave, OB from 1 to 4PM. Donations in her memory may be made to Friends of Children's Cove, Inc PO Box 225 Barnstable, MA 02630