Barbara Anne (Henley) Harrington, 79, returned peacefully to her birth family in Heaven on April 28, 2020. At the time of her death, she was a resident of Valerie Manor Nursing Home in Torrington, CT where she was being cared for her vascular dementia condition.
She was preceded by her mother, Catherine (Conroy) Henley, her father Frederick “Bud” Henley, her brother Donald, and her sister Margaret Salvietti. She is survived by her loving husband Bernard, her son Christopher and her daughter Rachel Colandrea, her grandchildren Christina, Jhonna, and Joanne Harrington, and her nephew and niece Clifford and Catherine Salvietti.
In addition, she is survived by a group of couples who have met in each other’s homes over a period of 40 plus years. The group called “Teams of Our Lady” with a religious beginning became extended family. Two friends from childhood, Virginia (Murphy) Shine and Sarah “Pat” Hitchen have continued their “sister” friendship throughout their lives.
Barbara was born at Beth David Hospital in Manhattan, NY on October 3, 1940. She attended Holy Cross Grammar School graduating in 1955 and Cathedral High School in NYC graduating in 1959. She attended Manhattan College where she was inducted into “Theta Alpha Kappa,” the National Honor Society of Religious Studies & Theology.
In her business career she was an executive secretary at Wells, Rich & Green, and at Alcoa Corp. in Manhattan, NY, and as an office manager at Sales Consultants, an employment agency in Glen Rock, NJ.
Barbara and Bernard were married on January 27, 1968, in Bayside, Queens NY, and began their married life in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. After her son was born, the family moved from their apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens to a new home in Glen Rock, Bergen County NJ. While in Glen Rock she was active in the schools as a teacher’s aide, crossing guard and fund raiser.
After approximately 35 years in NJ, she retired with her husband to Goshen, CT where she was a member of the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County. While there she enjoyed the marriage of her children and the arrivals of her grandchildren. Their fiftieth anniversary was celebrated at the “Nighty Night Inn” with their now-grown children and granddaughter acting as butler, waiter, chef and wine steward.
The family would like to thank the medical and recreation staff at Valerie Manor for the care and compassion given to Barbara during her stay. Barbara received the Anointing of the Sick while at Valerie Manor from Monsignor Richard Tucker with her husband and daughter present.