February 4, 1929 — June 25, 2023
Barbara L. Doyle of Wakefield passed away peacefully in Reading on June 25.
Born on Feb. 4, 1929, in Lynn, Mrs. Doyle was the daughter of the late Raymond and Alice (Froberger) Vienneau. She was predeceased in 2010 by her husband of 57 years, James E. Doyle.
Mrs. Doyle grew up in Lynn and was a 1946 graduate of St. Mary’s High School. She married her beloved husband in 1952 and raised five children in Lynn and in Long Island, N.Y. She spent the past 30 years in Wakefield, relishing life as a grandmother and great-grandmother.
Family was the focus of Mrs. Doyle’s life. She maintained deep connections to her children and grandchildren near and far, acting as the center of her ever-growing family.
She also maintained close friendships from her childhood in Lynn. Barbara loved her regular lunches with lifelong friends at the 99 Restaurant, a tradition that carried into the final decade of her life.
She is survived by her loving children: Thomas and his husband Kevin Hardy of Wakefield, Patricia and her husband Kevin Green of Salisbury, Timothy and his wife Monica of Hyde Park, N.Y., Richard and his wife Jessica of Manchester, CT, and Paul and his partner Jessica Di Nardo of Manchester, CT.
She also leaves her beloved grandchildren (Rachel and her husband Joseph, Jennifer and her husband Sean, Raymond and his wife Maria, Caroline, Andrew, Brian, Kevin, Anthony, Angela and her husband Marco, Grace, and Frankie) and great-grandchildren (Allison, Kate, Sam, Luke, Liam, Santo, and Gianmarco). She was predeceased by her daughter Paula and grandson Paul. Mrs. Doyle was also predeceased by her brothers, Laurence and Raymond Vienneau, along with lifelong best friends Rita Wall and Jean Dennis. She is also survived by dozens of nieces and nephews.
Barbara also enjoyed watching Boston sports teams and particularly the Red Sox — she loved telling the story of skipping school to attend “Ladies’ Day” at Fenway Park in the late 1940s. She was also a devout, lifelong Catholic whose faith sustained her and fueled her resilience.
Barbara’s pets were also a vital part of her life, from her childhood dog Buddy through her last companion Toots (“The best dog I ever had,” she often said). She found comfort knowing that her eldest child Tom would adopt her Toots after she passed.
She will be deeply missed by her children, her nephews and nieces, and the children of her friends who maintained a connection with her.
The family is grateful for the care from the staff at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House, which provided a peaceful atmosphere in Barbara’s final days.
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Friday, June 30 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Her Funeral Mass will be held in St. Florence Church, 47 Butler Ave., Wakefield on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Interment, Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield.
A celebration of her life at Spinelli’s (Rt. 1, Peabody) will follow a graveside service at Forest Glade Cemetery on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cooperative for Human Services (110 Florence St #101, Malden, MA 02148) or the Northeast Animal Shelter ( 347 Highland Ave, Salem, MA 01970).
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