Barbara Carol McCormick

Barbara Carol McCormick, daughter of Florence and Fred McCormick died on Friday, August 29, 2025 of complications from Alzheimer’s Dementia.

Barbara was born in St Louis, Missouri on December 19, 1942. She is survived by her two sisters, Susan M Philippo and Joann E. McCormick; two nephews, Christopher Philippo and Timothy Philippo and Tim’s wife Monica.

The family moved from St Louis to Bronxville, NY and later to Eastchester, New York where the girls received most of their schooling. Education was important to Barbara and she was proud of her academic accomplishments and the undergraduate and graduate degrees she earned at SUNY Cortland, the University of Missouri and the Pratt Institute. Barbara was employed as a teacher for several years and worked hard to share her love of learning with her students. But,the profession she found she excelled at was that of librarian. Her career as a librarian, first at White Plains Public Library and then at Eastchester Public Library covered several decades and was the career from which, she retired.

Barbara was skilled at knitting and crocheting and was known for her knowledge of plants and wildflowers. She greatly enjoyed walking on gentle trails and exploring the areas along the dirt roads at the family’s summer home in the Adirondacks on Trout Lake. Barbara also had a great interest in rocks and minerals, amassing a sizable collection over the years and also enjoyed star gazing. She taught her young nephews how to read star maps by flashlight to find the constellations on clear summer nights at the lake… all while enjoying mugs of warm cocoa.

The last few years of Barbara’s life were often difficult and frustrating because of the onset of Alzheimer’s Dementia. She was not alone, though, for family members were with her for every step of her journey. The sisters relied greatly on the staff at the five residences where Barbara lived since February 2020. They would like to publicly thank the staff at Latham Village Apartments, Glenmont Abbey, Delmar Place, Peregrine at Colonie and Kingsway Nursing Home for their help and excellent care of Barbara. Yes, she had to move often as her needs increased. Without their help, Susan and Joann would not have been able to cope with the challenges Barbara presented them, as well as they did.

There will be no public wake or funeral. The family has been grieving the gradual loss of what made Barbara be Barbara since the onset of her dementia symptoms. Every “good bye for now” at the end of the day was expressed for the things that would no longer be a part of Barbara when we returned next. When the day came when Barbara did not recognize, any longer, who Susan and Joann were was heart breaking. But, till almost the very end, Barbara continued to smile her lovely smile to greet us when we arrived to visit. Rest in peace, Barbara.

Barbara will be buried next to her parents and brother in law at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, NY. If you would like to remember Barbara in some manner, her family knows that a donation to your local library would greatly please her. And for that gesture, we sincerely thank you.