Obituary for Joseph "Joe" W. Barberie
Joseph W. Barberie, age 79, a resident of Dracut, passed away peacefully at his home on September 10, 2023. He was the beloved husband of Virginia Ann (Ryan) Barberie with whom he enjoyed 50 years of marriage, just shy of celebrating 51 years together in October.
He was born in Cambridge on October 24, 1943, and was a son of the late Neil and Jennie (West) Barberie.
Joseph was a graduate of Norwood High School in 1961 and served in the United States Air Force for 4 years. In 1980, he became employed with the United States Postal Service where he worked until his retirement in 2010. He was a very hard worker and consistently took on extra jobs to provide for his family, working in flea markets, reselling beanie babies during the 90’s craze and delivering phone books to local neighborhoods.
Joseph (also known as “Joey”) was truly a kid at heart. He always wanted to take part in activities, even if riding a rollercoaster might have made him sick afterwards. He loved beaches and lakes, amusement parks, swimming and water games, and was an expert at planning a family vacation that incorporated all of those activities on a budget. He was nicknamed the “Coupon King” by his friends for his determination to always find a great deal. He took many trips across the country with family and friends and loved to pose for a funny picture along the way. He and his wife Virginia spent many of their retirement years traveling to Cape Cod and up and down the East coast.
An avid sports player, he never turned down an opportunity to play frisbee, softball, tennis and golf, frequently challenging players to a rematch if he were to lose. He took his mini-golf game very seriously, but also loved playing cards and spent many evenings playing Rummy or Whist with his family and friends. He loved the Patriots (especially Tom Brady), women’s college basketball, Boston College football, and of course the Red Sox and Fenway Park.
Joseph loved talking with people, was quick to make an acquaintance with a neighbor or those around him and was always ready to help someone in need. He once dove into a lake fully clothed to assist a family whose boat had capsized, broke up a fight at a baseball game, and tried to help a man at a lake he was worried was drowning. He loved scratch tickets and casinos, making frequent trips to Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, and Twin River. He was an enthusiastic coin collector and spent many hours finding new coins and sorting through his collection.
He loved to eat and never turned down a meal or a snack, enjoying his trips to Al’s Seafood in North Hampton, Chinese food takeout, a cruise liner sundae from Jay Gees in Methuen, or a trip to the Village Inn in Dracut. He loved classical music and enjoyed singing with choirs, including time with the former New Greeley Singers of New Hampshire. He was very smart and enjoyed a challenging cross word puzzle and watching Jeopardy many nights.
He was a devoted father and husband, as well as a proud grandfather. He loved his family and friends, and he was always there for them. He will be missed deeply.
In addition to his loving wife, Joseph is survived by his children, Karen and her husband Brandon, Amy and her husband Matt, and Jeff and his partner Amanda; his grandchildren, James and Ryan; his brother, David and his wife Jane; his Aunt Barbara; and several beloved nieces, nephews and extended family. He was predeceased by his brother Don.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, September 14th from 4pm to 7pm at the Dracut Funeral Home, 2159 Lakeview Avenue, Dracut. A graveside service will be held on Friday at 10am at Oakland Cemetery, 80 Pine Valley Drive, Dracut. Family and friends are invited to gather at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph’s memory may be made to St. Jude’s Hospital at stjude.org or to the VA of Lowell at va.gov/boston-health-care.
He was born in Cambridge on October 24, 1943, and was a son of the late Neil and Jennie (West) Barberie.
Joseph was a graduate of Norwood High School in 1961 and served in the United States Air Force for 4 years. In 1980, he became employed with the United States Postal Service where he worked until his retirement in 2010. He was a very hard worker and consistently took on extra jobs to provide for his family, working in flea markets, reselling beanie babies during the 90’s craze and delivering phone books to local neighborhoods.
Joseph (also known as “Joey”) was truly a kid at heart. He always wanted to take part in activities, even if riding a rollercoaster might have made him sick afterwards. He loved beaches and lakes, amusement parks, swimming and water games, and was an expert at planning a family vacation that incorporated all of those activities on a budget. He was nicknamed the “Coupon King” by his friends for his determination to always find a great deal. He took many trips across the country with family and friends and loved to pose for a funny picture along the way. He and his wife Virginia spent many of their retirement years traveling to Cape Cod and up and down the East coast.
An avid sports player, he never turned down an opportunity to play frisbee, softball, tennis and golf, frequently challenging players to a rematch if he were to lose. He took his mini-golf game very seriously, but also loved playing cards and spent many evenings playing Rummy or Whist with his family and friends. He loved the Patriots (especially Tom Brady), women’s college basketball, Boston College football, and of course the Red Sox and Fenway Park.
Joseph loved talking with people, was quick to make an acquaintance with a neighbor or those around him and was always ready to help someone in need. He once dove into a lake fully clothed to assist a family whose boat had capsized, broke up a fight at a baseball game, and tried to help a man at a lake he was worried was drowning. He loved scratch tickets and casinos, making frequent trips to Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, and Twin River. He was an enthusiastic coin collector and spent many hours finding new coins and sorting through his collection.
He loved to eat and never turned down a meal or a snack, enjoying his trips to Al’s Seafood in North Hampton, Chinese food takeout, a cruise liner sundae from Jay Gees in Methuen, or a trip to the Village Inn in Dracut. He loved classical music and enjoyed singing with choirs, including time with the former New Greeley Singers of New Hampshire. He was very smart and enjoyed a challenging cross word puzzle and watching Jeopardy many nights.
He was a devoted father and husband, as well as a proud grandfather. He loved his family and friends, and he was always there for them. He will be missed deeply.
In addition to his loving wife, Joseph is survived by his children, Karen and her husband Brandon, Amy and her husband Matt, and Jeff and his partner Amanda; his grandchildren, James and Ryan; his brother, David and his wife Jane; his Aunt Barbara; and several beloved nieces, nephews and extended family. He was predeceased by his brother Don.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, September 14th from 4pm to 7pm at the Dracut Funeral Home, 2159 Lakeview Avenue, Dracut. A graveside service will be held on Friday at 10am at Oakland Cemetery, 80 Pine Valley Drive, Dracut. Family and friends are invited to gather at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph’s memory may be made to St. Jude’s Hospital at stjude.org or to the VA of Lowell at va.gov/boston-health-care.