Norma H. Barr

Norma Brownie Helen Barr, died on Sunday, July 10, at the Harbor House after a recent illness. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, the child of Harry and Helen Stamp. Coming of age during the years of the Depression and World War II, Brownie (as she preferred to be called) received an Associate Bachelor of Arts from Centenary College in 1946, then attended Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School. Upon completion of her training, she secured a position as an executive secretary for a New York advertising firm. She eventually left her position to marry her husband, William H. Barr in 1950. They initially resided in Providence, RI, then moved to White Plains, NY. In 1957, they took up residence in Hingham. Brownie was a woman of many passions. While living in Hingham, she had been actively involved in the Junior Womens Club, and enjoyed acting in many local theater productions. She was a regular member of many local duplicate bridge venues that culminated in her attaining a grandmaster ranking. Eventually she became less active on the bridge circuit, channelling her talents into teaching bridge to residents at the Senior Center in town. Throughout her life in Massachusetts, Brownie particularly enjoyed summers on Sandy Beach in Cohasset, punctuated by many years of biweekly trips to the police department to obtain visitor passes. When she finally was granted the opportunity to obtain annual passes, it codified her membership in what euphemistically has come to be known as the founding mothers of Sandy Beach. She is survived by Bill, her husband of 61 years, and her three children: Thomas, Lawrence and Patricia Grimm. She has had the pleasure of watching her two grandchildren, Manya and Wes, develop into young adults. Manya is the lovely daughter of Larry and his widow Teresa Gerlib-Barr of Falmouth. Wes is the energetic son of Patty and her husband Bill Grimm who reside in New Hampshire. Funeral services will be held at St. John the Evangelist, 172 Main Street, Hingham, MA, August 1, at 11 a.m., followed by the distribution of her ashes in the memorial garden. Afterwards, a reception will be held at Weld Hall in the church. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to be the Hingham Senior Center in Brownies name.