Barbara Mayer's Obituary
Barbara Madella (Harvey Holland) Mayer, 94, formerly of Stafford Springs, CT entered into her eternal rest with the Lord on April 6, 2024 after a long journey through dementia at Kimberly Hall nursing home in Windsor, CT.
Barbara was born on March 30, 1930 and was the last living child of the 12 children of Robert L. Harvey and Mary Edith (Shorey) Harvey of Plainfield, VT. She attended Plainfield public schools, graduating with honors from Plainfield High School in 1948. In 1954, she moved with her first husband, Gordon M. Holland, to Connecticut where they eventually settled in Stafford Springs to raise their family. Barbara worked for many years on the night shift as a nurse’s aide at Natchaug Hospital and at Johnson Memorial Hospital, leaving her days for the support and management of her loving children.
Barbara was a kind and hard-working person who spent much of her life as an active participant in a family atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and spirited discussions where she more than held her own. She enjoyed watching and attending UConn sporting events, knitting, listening to music (especially her favorite “The Sound of Music”), and participating in events at the First United Methodist Church in Stafford Springs.
Following Gordon’s passing in 1977, Barbara moved to Mansfield, CT where she met and married her second husband Gustave “Al” Mayer. Unfortunately, her marriage to Al lasted less than 2 years as he passed away suddenly in 1989. In later years, Barbara enjoyed spending time and traveling with her special friend Leonard “Lenny” Szarek who passed away in 2017.
Barbara is survived by her children, David Holland and his wife Lorraine of Stafford Springs; Susan Yannello and her husband David of South Glastonbury, CT; Betty Wilcox and her husband Gerald of South Windsor, CT; Diane Holland and her wife Patricia of Worcester, VT; and Lisa Trowbridge and her husband Bruce of St. Augustine, FL. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Keith Holland and his wife Bethany (and great-grandchildren Kason and Colby); Matt Dickinson and his wife Melissa; Marc Holland and his wife Abigail; and Gerald Wilcox, Jr. and his wife Rachel. Barbara is also survived by her long-time friend, Joan Johnson of Stafford Springs, and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of Kimberly Hall for their compassionate care of Barbara during her extended stay. Also, thanks to the staff of Assisted Living Services who made it possible for her to stay in her home after the onset of her dementia.
A graveside memorial service will take place at a later date at the Center Cemetery in Plainfield, Vermont where she will rejoin her dear husband, Gordon.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Barbara’s memory may be made to Dementia Society of America (https://www.dementiasociety.org/) and/or Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (https://mhopus.org/donate/).
Introvigne Funeral Home, Inc., Stafford Springs, CT, has care of the arrangements. To leave a condolence online for the family, please visit: www.introvignefuneralhome.com
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