Barbara M. McLeod

KENNEBUNK – On June 8, 2022, Barbara Martha McLeod let go of this mortal coil and passed over into paradise.

She was born on Nov. 18, 1929 in Old Town Maine to Agnes Migneault and Leland Davis. Barbara was the youngest of seven children with five sisters and one brother. As the youngest she was daddy’s little girl and would attach herself to him as often as she could. Leland, who would support the family with wages from Old Town Canoe where he worked, as well as from hunting and gardening, passed away at the young age of 43 when Barbara was only 14, and this left an enduring scar on Mom’s heart that would help shape her life. She would recall her father entertaining friends in the backyard, laughing and carrying on as they threw horseshoes.

Raised a devout Catholic by her French speaking mother she would go to church everyday after her father’s passing. Like her father, Barbara would make friends easily wherever she lived. She remained devoted to her childhood friends Rita and Eva until their passings.

Barbara married William McLeod in 1953 and raised their three boys (John, Eric and Scott) first in Kennebunk and then in Springvale. Mom was blessed with beauty and a joy filled spirit both of which made her easy to love. She loved the beach and all summer long she would take her boys to Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk to play in the sand, rocks and waves. In the ’60s she was in a fashion show with her friends Holly and Polly.

Mom was a great short order cook and would whip up a meal seemingly from nothing. She made terrific potato salad, coleslaw, spaghetti sauce, salmon wiggle and was famous for her whoopie pies, chocolate chip cookies, molasses cookies and hermits. Seemingly always on a diet, this, no doubt strengthened her resolve. In the fall she would discreetly ask us to get her a couple of bags of apples. Of course this meant that we needed to walk through the woods up to the ridge and pick apples at McDougals Orchard. Mom was creative.

Barbara was also deeply spiritual and connected to that realm. She was a great lover of a Billy Graham Crusade or reading a book written by Edgar Cayce, a kind of psychic prophet. We all did the same, in between episodes of “Another World” and “Dark Shadows”. There are three spiritual dreams mom had that were vivid and noteworthy enough that she spoke of them. One in which she was visited by dad’s long deceased great-aunt in which Aunt Maudie warned of Scott’s 1976 car accident. Another in which her father pointedly assured Mom that God was real, and another in which her mother described the things she was doing in heaven. All of these brought clarity and peace to Mom and to us.

Barbara was a great wife to Dad and they enjoyed many adventures including trips to Hawaii that Dad had earned as a car dealer for Datsun (now called Nissan), bringing us all to the World’s Fair in 1964 in New York City, N.Y., and numerous times skiing at Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton. Mom was intuitive, empathetic, a great listener, non-judgmental and had great common sense. She definitely made the world a little bit better for her being in it. Mom will live forever in our very being. We love and will miss you, Mom.

Barbara is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 69 years, William; her three sons; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

The family has greatly appreciated the special help of Michelle, Hallie, Becky and Denise as well as Hospice of Southern Maine.

There will be a graveside service at a later date at the Southern Maine Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Springvale.

To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Barbara’s Book of Memories Page at http://www.bibberfuneral.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to EWTN where Barbara found peace from Mother Angelica.