Gladys R. (Keith) Barnes

Gladys R. (Keith) Barnes, of Braintree, MA, left this world as quietly as she lived in it, passing peacefully in her sleep of natural causes on January 21, 2021 at the gentle age of 88. A private burial will take place at Blue Hill Cemetery in Braintree. Arrangements are by Hamel-Lydon Chapel.

Gladys was born in Quincy, Massachusetts to Frank L. & Minnie B. (Lockery) Keith on December 20, 1932.  She was a 1950 graduate of Quincy High School.  She married William H. Barnes (also of Quincy) on June 30, 1960 in her hometown Hough’s Neck Congregational Church and raised their family in Quincy. Gladys began her secretarial career working as a bookkeeper for Howard D. Johnson Company from 1952-1962 and continued her career with the Quincy Public School System as an administrative professional beginning in 1970, holding eight different positions within the Business Office, Quincy College and the Quincy Vocational Technical High School as a clerk/typist. She retired from her Principal Clerk position in 2001 after 31 years of service.

Gladys was an example of grace and wisdom as she listened intently and reverently kept her opinions to herself. Never a complaint passed her lips. Gladys accepted ‘whatever’ was offered and always replied with ‘I’m fine’ when asked. She will be remembered as the family matriarch who reunited a distanced family with Cape Cod summer vacations, bringing her closer to where she and Bill met at Cahoon Hollow Beach the summer of ’59. After Bill’s untimely death in 2004, Gladys lived many years independently at The Grove Manor Estates in Braintree.

Gladys’ legacy will live on with family, friends and strangers through her incredible talent of knitting. It was a fact that on family road trips, the faster Bill drove, the faster Gladys knit! Over the years she created hundreds if not thousands of hand knit items and was rarely seen without knitting needles in hand. No project was too big or too small and all involved intricate detail. Hats, mittens, baby sweaters to name a few, but her signature creations were the fisherman knit sweaters and afghans she created. Many such items were donated to church fairs, the residents of The Grove and her most beloved charity, Project Linus of The Greater Boston Area – which gifts homemade blankets to hospitalized children.

Gladys is preceded in death by her loving parents and William H. Barnes, her beloved husband of 44 years. 

Gladys is survived by 3 children and spouses: William H. Barnes, Jr (Cynthia) of Marlton, NJ, Keith R. Barnes (Deborah) of Braintree, MA and Susan J. Shaw (David) of Mountain Lakes, NJ;

 as well as her eldest sister Irene K. Zibell of Merrimac, MA and younger sister Shirley Pearson of Quincy, MA.

 Gladys will be deeply missed by her 8 grandchildren, their spouses and significant others as well as her 2 great-grandchildren and one on the way. Gladys is also survived by her very dear friend Dorothy McGarity who shared snip-its, tidbits and many hours of laughter as they whiled away the past 15 years together at the GROVE Manor Estates in Braintree.

The family of Gladys Barnes wishes to extend our sincere gratitude to the caring staff at The Grove Manor Estates in Braintree, the caring staff at The Ellis Nursing Home in Norwood and Hospice Services of Massachusetts, for the exceptional care our mom received during these most difficult of circumstances and for at all times keeping her safe and comfortable.