Barbara Sullivan Henry

1941 - 2025

Barbara Sullivan Henry

September 19, 1941 - October 24, 2025

Henry, Barbara Sullivan, of Richmond, Virginia, died in her sleep on October 24, 2025, at the age of 84. She is survived by her son, Michael Henry (Sara) of Los Angeles, California; two grandchildren, Jack Henry and Josie Henry; two sisters, Elizabeth Minkowetz (Richard) of Cleveland, Ohio, and Cathy Sullivan of Westerville, Ohio. Her other son, Patrick Henry of Richmond, died in 2017 and her other sister, Sheila Keech of Tavares, Florida, died in 2016.

Barbara was born on September 19, 1941, in Syracuse, New York, to Robert Joseph Sullivan and Doris Fox Sullivan. A lifelong Catholic, she was the second of four sisters. When she was a teenager, her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended Regina High School. Barbara had a beautiful singing voice and loved musicals, notably Gypsy, Carousel and Oklahoma. She was also a gifted painter and received her BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she met Charles "Chuck" Henry. After college, Barbara and Chuck got married and moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where Chuck attended graduate school, and the couple welcomed their first son, Michael, in 1965. In 1968, the Henrys moved to Richmond, Virginia, when Chuck was hired to teach sculpture at VCU. The young family rented a house just outside the fan on West Grace Street. Barbara saw to it that Michael was enrolled at a good school, Richmond Montessori. While Michael was at school and Chuck was at work, Barbara began painting oil portraits of friends and of Michael. She also painted beautiful floral watercolors. In 1971, Barbara and Chuck had a second son, Patrick, and then they got divorced. Thus, Barbara's life's mission became clear: to raise two boys as a single mom while painting portraits out of her living room to support the family. A strong network of friends, mostly Montessori parents, helped get her career going by commissioning her to paint their children. Barbara's portraits are a unique combination of realism and impressionism. She would photograph the person, then do a watercolor rendering to establish colors and composition, then translate the image into oil on canvas, then finally, the person would sit for her so she could capture the details of their face and the essence of their personality. Barbara's portraits were and are exquisite. As more people saw them, her client base grew. She was featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch and had a major showing at Church Hill's Schindler Gallery. She became the "go-to" for Richmond's affluent to commission a portrait. With child support and income she earned from her paintings, Barbara was scraping-by. Then two-year-old Patrick was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. This was the beginning of a decades-long struggle to make ends meet while dealing with her child's disease. In 1974, when Richmond Montessori moved to the West End, Barbara, Michael and Patrick followed suit, landing at the Deerwood Apartments on Derbyshire Road. Deerwood was a magical place where kids from divorced families played and grew up together. Barbara was always home, painting, and present to deal with a skinned knee or a bee sting. There was always music playing on the record player and a hot meal on the table. She never missed a game either son played at Tuckahoe Little League. She also managed to connect with Collegiate School where both boys received financial aid and got a great education while making lifelong friends. Michael went on to Washington and Lee University and Patrick to the Rhode Island School of Design. Both continued on to successful careers. Barbara's painting slowed down after the boys moved out. She enjoyed going to dinner with friends, swimming at the Tuckahoe YMCA and watching an endless stream of old musicals on Turner Classic Movies. She was a loving grandmother to Michael's children, Jack and Josie. Barbara eventually became Patrick's caretaker as Diabetes debilitated him and ultimately took his life in 2017. After that, Barbara ceased painting and kept largely to herself. She lived her final years at St. Mary's Woods Retirement Community and Our Lady of Hope Health Center. Over the years, Barbara painted hundreds of amazing portraits, but she was always most proud of raising her two boys. She is deeply loved and sorely missed. Visitation will be on Sunday, November 23, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Bliley's Funeral Home, 3801 Augusta Avenue. A funeral service will be held on Monday, November 24, at 9 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Road in Henrico, with a reception immediately following in the church atrium. A brief graveside service will take place at Noon at Westhampton Memorial and Cremation Park.