Barbara passed away peacefully on January 3rd at the age of 94, surrounded by family. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Dorothy (Hague) and Albert Messier, she graduated from the Truesdale Hospital nursing school in 1952. Shortly thereafter she took up a nursing position at the Boston General Hospital where she met her future husband, Peter, then a medical resident. They married in Boston on October 17th,1956, and settled in Ottawa, eventually moving to Rockcliffe where they raised two daughters, Nina and Ariane.
Barbara created a warm and welcoming home - a place to stop by and enjoy a good cup of tea and great conversation. Countless gatherings were held there, most notably the annual Réveillon on Christmas Eve — a celebration fondly remembered by many to this day. A superlative cook Barbara was also a devoted gardener and lover of nature, and she could often be found deep in her garden when she wasn’t ferrying children to Camp Fortune in her little Citroen 2 CV.
A brilliant student, Barbara learned French after moving to Canada and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Ottawa with a degree in French Literature in 1987. She had a passion for books and French-Canadian literature and devoted many hours as a volunteer for the Rockcliffe Book Fair, where she helped sort and appraise books.
Barbara’s resilience was put to the test when Peter developed a brain tumour, and it was her resourcefulness that enabled him to recover after two bouts of neurosurgery. Above all, Barbara was a loving wife, an extraordinary mother, and a devoted Bonne-Maman, always ready for a trip to the museum with her grandchildren.
She will be greatly missed by her two daughters, her grandchildren, James, Leah, and William, and her son-in-law, Thomas, as well as extended family and friends.
The family would like to thank the caregiving team at The Sunrise Residence, Beaconsfield, where Barbara resided for more than ten years prior to her death, for their kindness and excellent care.
A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at the Beechwood Cemetery on May 9th.
For those who wish, memorial contributions in Barbara’s memory may be directed to either the Montfort Hospital Foundation: https://www.jedonneenligne.org/fondationmontfort/DIM/ or the Sheperd’s of Good Hope: https://www.sghottawa.com/?form=donations