Patricia Ann Bazley Barber of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, passed away at home on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at the age of 86.
Patricia Barber’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
She was born on Oct. 14, 1929 in Plainfield, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Dorothy Cary Bazley Barnhurst and John Duncan Bazley. She lived in Plainfield, New Jersey for 13 years before moving to Ogdensburg, New York on the St. Lawrence River, where she loved to ice skate with her friends.
Two years later her family moved to Syracuse, New York where she graduated from Central High School in 1948. Patricia, called Pat by her friends, majored in Interior Design at Syracuse University. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and graduated in 1952.
It was here she met her husband, James Frederick Barber, after he returned from World War ll. On March 31 they were married on campus in Hendricks Chapel. Pat and Jim were married for 65 years.
They had two children while in Syracuse: Diane and James. The family moved often, living in New York, Chicago, and Indianapolis before settling in New Canaan. Many of her years were spent doing volunteer work at Silver Hill Foundation.
__________
— an obituary from Island Funeral Home
__________
Pat enjoyed boating with the family and golfing with her husband. In Connecticut she was a member of the Country Club of Darien, where she hit a hole in one! She also won the Women’s Handicap Tournament against 60 other club members.
After Jim retired from IBM, Pat and Jim moved to Hilton Head, S.C. As avid golfers, they built a home on the 16th green at Long Cove Club. Locally she belonged to Bear Creek Golf Club and Melrose Club. Pat was a member of the Hilton Head Bridge Center. She also played in tournaments, traveling to different cities to participate. She completed her bridge career as a Silver Life Master.
With an eye for beauty she decorated her home and kept her garden blooming. She was a fabulous cook and gracious host. She entertained often, delighting her friends with delicious food and tantalizing table settings.
Pat and Jim traveled the world; there wasn’t a continent they didn’t travel together. Her longest trips were to New Zealand and Australia; she was exhausted just getting to the airport! They enjoyed frequent cruises throughout their years and vacationed extensively in the Caribbean.
With her passion for design, she loved touring museums and viewing artwork in London, Paris, Athens, Rome and Florence. The safari in Kenya, viewing the Egyptian tombs in Luxor, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo and dining on beef and wine in Argentina were major highlights of her travels.
Patricia is survived by her husband James Frederick Barber, her son, James F. Barber II of Bethel; daughter, Diane Cary Barber of Hilton Head; three grandchildren: James Ernest Gray of Seattle, Laura Ann Cary Barber of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Sara Nicole Barber of Boston; sister-in-law, Joan Smith; nephew, Brad Hague (Ann); nephew, Jonathan Hague all of Queensbury, N.Y.; niece, Melanie Ostberg (Ed) of Diamond Point, N.Y.; three great nephews and one great niece. She will always be remembered for the love and support she gave to her family.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 4 at the Honey Horn Chapel First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. Memorial contributions may be made in Patricia’s name to Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, Post Office Box 3827, Bluffton, SC 29910. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory.