Barbara B. Doria, beloved yard sale enthusiast and devoted animal lover, passed away peacefully on May 14, at Life Care Center of Merrimack Valley. She was 87.
Born Barbara Elizabeth McLeod on January 25, 1938, in Marblehead, to Laurence and Rena Stever McLeod, she was the youngest of eight children. A proud graduate of Marblehead schools, Barbara cherished the Atlantic seashore, always favoring it over the Pacific.
Barbara’s life was marked by love and resilience through three marriages. She spent her later years with her third husband, the late Ralph Doria, in Rochester, New Hampshire, where they enjoyed dancing and trips to Hawaii. Earlier, she was married to the late Richard J. Walsh, with whom she lived in Newton Corner and briefly in Chula Vista, California, before returning to Marblehead. She was also married to the late Ralph Barbrick, during which time she worked as a cherished nurse’s aide at Devereaux House and at Pekin Cleaners in Marblehead.
Barbara had an uncanny knack for finding yard sales and a big heart for adopting cats and dogs needing special care. She was a fan of “Murder, She Wrote” and “Jeopardy,” loved music from Tom Jones to Alice Cooper, and adored the color lavender, especially in jewelry crafted by her daughter-in-law.
She is survived by her sons, Gregory D. Walsh (wife Kelly) of Billerica, Timothy L. Gray of Marblehead, and Nate C. Walsh (husband Jonas) of Cambridge; her grandchildren, Molly Jean (husband Kyle) of Londonderry, New Hampshire, and Dylan and Zander Walsh of Billerica, and Chase and Charlotte Gray of Marblehead; and her sister, Natalie Weber (husband David) of Irvine, California. She was predeceased by her beloved grandson, Darren Gregory Walsh.
Private services will be held.
