Barbara A. Teague

Barbara Ann (Brigham) Teague, 85, formerly of West Boylston, was called home by her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, December 27.

Barbara was born in Worcester on July 5, 1937, daughter of the late Trefley and Dorothea (Malone) Brigham. She graduated from South High School in 1955, married Richard Teague in 1958, and moved to West Boylston, where she lived for most of her life, raising five children. Barbara was an incredibly devoted mother, and later grandmother and great-grandmother. Nothing made her happier than when she was surrounded by family, especially on holidays when she would cook and bake up a storm for everyone. She was an extremely good baker, and she loved to make treats for friends and family. For years, her house was quite popular with the neighborhood kids, as she always had cookies to share. She was particularly known for her special four-layer chocolate cake that she made for each of her children’s birthdays every year (and also for several of the neighbors who frequently requested her baked goods).

Her husband passed away in 1983, and Barbara began working outside the home, first at Ann’s Coffee Shop in West Boylston and later at State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Worcester. She enrolled in several courses at Clark University and began to travel with her church’s women’s group, discovering a passion for exploring the world. In particular, she loved to talk about her trips to Italy, Poland, Sweden, Egypt, and Germany. Locally, she loved to visit Cape Cod and the beaches in Maine, and spent almost every summer weekend taking her kids or grandkids (and sometimes her beloved golden retriever) on day trips around New England. She retired from State Mutual in 1996, which gave her even more time to spend with her family.

Barbara was a devout Christian who loved God, as well as her neighbors (as long as they did not call her during the Patriots game), and if you knew Barbara personally, then you were on her extensive prayer list. She loved to help others in the community. In her younger years, that meant volunteering for a variety of church and town endeavors, including serving on the planning committee for West Boylston’s 175th anniversary celebration. She also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Bridge of Central Massachusetts, a non-profit human service agency serving persons with mental health or developmental disability challenges. Later in life, Barbara was unable to attend church or volunteer due to mobility issues, so she developed a list of non-profits around the country that she supported financially as best she could.  

After leaving West Boylston, Barbara lived in Ashland, Virginia before returning to Massachusetts, where she lived for 10 years in Boylston and Framingham. For the last year, she lived with family in Pennsylvania. Barbara was fiercely independent, and as she grew older, it was hard for her to have to rely on her family for help. But for all of us, it was our privilege to give back to her the same love and support that she gave so selflessly to us.

Barbara leaves behind four children: Michael Teague and his wife Alyson of Pennsylvania; Brian Teague and his wife Amy of Virginia;  Karen Kinnear and her husband Randy of Texas; and Christopher Teague and his husband Robert of Rhode Island. She also leaves behind many grandchildren and great grandchildren who adore their Grandma / Gigi and will miss her terribly. In addition to her parents and husband, Barbara was also predeceased by her daughter Cathy Sullivan and grandchildren Nicole Sullivan and Matthew Kinnear.

Family and friends are invited to visiting hours on Friday, January 6 from 5:00-7:00pm and a funeral service on Saturday, January 7 at 11:00am, both at Fay Brothers Funeral Home, 1 West Boylston Street in West Boylston. A graveside service will take place at Mount Vernon Cemetery following the funeral service.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Worcester County Food Bank (http://www.foodbank.org/) or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/), two causes that were near and dear to Barbara’s heart.