Barbara Miguel, beloved wife of John Miguel,
died peacefully on Sunday, November 5 after a
long struggle with Lewy Body Dementia.
Born on October 6, 1937 in New Bedford MA,
she moved to Tiverton in 1965 to raise her
family and join the public school system as a
1st and later, 3rd grade teacher. A dedicated,
compassionate and inventive, yet traditional
teacher for over 30 years, Barbara was
committed to her students’ development, both
in and out of the classroom. When she was
not teaching at Fort Barton or Pocasset
School, she could be found on the family room
couch, correcting papers and making lesson
plans for hours each evening.
She retired to Sun Lakes AZ in 1992 and
became a vibrant part of that community,
finding herself needing to keep a calendar for
the first time. She was a communicant of St. Steven’s Church, volunteering at many
church events, enjoyed golf and tennis, and pursued a passion for bridge and
scrapbooking – especially chronicling legendary family vacations.
Barbara’s defining role was her life as a grandmother. Affectionately known as
“Bop”, Barbara was a nurturing and involved grandparent who had a profound
effect on the development of her grandchildren. Always ready with a listening ear,
big hug, sound advice or plans for activities that become the memories of a lifetime,
she never missed a school play; even when they were almost 3,000 miles away and
enjoyed being everyone’s Bop during Christmas visits to RI when she was the
featured guest teacher at school. Her wonderful sense of humor and infectious
laugh captivated her grandchildren and friends alike.
Daughter of the late Leo and Mary Mello, Barbara is survived by her husband John,
their daughter Susan and her husband Gregory Klinker of Tiverton RI, son David and
his wife Yvonne of Olathe KS, and her sisters Jane Perry of Dartmouth MA and Leona
Braley of East Freetown MA, and the grandchildren of whom she was most proud,
John Miguel, Jonathan Klinker and Sarah Miguel.
Her funeral will be celebrated at St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth, RI on Saturday,
December 30 at 11:00 am. A luncheon will immediately follow in the parish hall.
Memorial donations may be made to GiftsToGive, giftstogive.org or the Alzheimer’s
Association, alz.org.