Kathleen M. Barber, 95, of Winona died on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, at her son and daughter-in-law’s home in rural Rushford. She was blessed to spend her final months in the care of her family and friends. She was born Kathleen Maguire on June 8, 1927, in Walpole, Massachusetts, and spent her young adult years in Newburyport and Boston. In 1957, she moved to Berkeley, California, and was married a year later to V. William Barber. Kathleen enjoyed working with patients as a dental hygienist for more than 50 years in both Massachusetts and California. She was an avid skier (both cross country and downhill), hiker, sailor and canoeist. She enjoyed theater and was an enthusiastic supporter of both the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the California Shakespeare Festival.
In 2007, Kathleen moved to Winona to be closer to her son, daughter-in-law and grandson. Once in Minnesota, she found beloved friends at the YMCA, enjoyed both the Beethoven Festival and Great River Shakespeare performances, and went north to the Boundary Waters area most years.
Kathleen is survived by her son, Mark; her daughter-in-law, Patricia; and grandson, Daniel. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William; her brother, William; and her sisters, Frances and Margurite.
A funeral Mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona, Minnesota. A visitation will begin at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 26, also at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
