Barbara A. Harty Obituary

Barbara A. Harty, 83, died peacefully Jan. 8, 2017 on a beautiful day during her first Rhode Island winter in many years. She'd spent winters at her home in Jupiter, Fla., for more than 20 years.
Recently she had met a new adversary in cancer, and bravely lived the last five months with a zen-like outlook on life, happy to see her friends and family and dutifully checking off items on her to-do list.
In 2013, Barbara moved to The Village at Waterman Lake in Greenville, R.I., following her husband's passing in 2011. She was the wife of the late William F. Harty., Jr., former city councilman and mayor of Pawtucket, R.I. For many years she was the bookkeeper at his real estate companies. The couple met on a blind date while she was a student at Marymount College in Tarrytown, N.Y., and the two discovered they shared the same birthday of Nov. 8. Following graduation from Marymount, Barbara and friends traveled Europe for three months, likely spawning her love of travel in later years. She then married Bill Harty on Nov. 5, 1955, and the newlyweds honeymooned in Jamaica, where they ran into Rock Hudson.
The couple made their home in Pawtucket, R.I., where they raised their three children. Barbara is survived by her son, Michael F. Harty and his wife, Mary, Cranston, R.I.; daughter Shannon Harty Post, Elk Grove, Calif.; and son, William F. Harty, III and his wife, Tracey, Salt Lake City. She was the grandmother of Andrew Post, Rachel Post, Katelin Turner and Jessianne Turner; and also leaves two sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews, all of whom she's very fond.
Barbara was a talented bridge player and one of the top 100 all-time players of the Rhode Island Bridge Association. Her love of games and puzzles was passed along from times playing with her mother while growing up on Long Island, N.Y. Barbara started a mah jongg group in Jupiter, hosting Monday games at her home for over twelve years. Upon moving to Greenville, she founded the mah jongg club at The Chalet at The Village, and began teaching the game to fellow residents. She truly enjoyed her community there and looked forward to many meals, conversations and activities with her friends. Likewise, in Jupiter she had many close, lifelong friends with whom she enjoyed traveling, shows and parties.
She was the daughter of musician Philip Wall, who wrote for legendary musicians such as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, some of who were guests in the family home. She spent many hours listening to tunes underneath the piano and eventually herself became an expert who played by ear utilizing her perfect pitch. Her mother, Kathryn Kenney Wall, passed away when Barbara was in college.
With her children grown, Barbara expanded her travel itineraries, especially relishing cruise experiences where she could see far-off places of the world while at the same time enjoying some of her favorite pastimes. Her many scrapbooks are a testament to trips everywhere from Russia to Tanzania and Antarctica to Scandinavia. She also loved to visit her children and had attended several of her grandchildren's college graduations in recent years.
Visitation is scheduled for 4:00-7:00pm Thursday, Jan. 12 at Tucker-Quinn Funeral Chapel, 643 Putnam Pike, Greenville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30am Friday, Jan. 13, at St. Philip Church, 622 Putnam Pike, with visitation prior beginning at 8:30am at Tucker-Quinn Funeral Home. A private burial will follow.
Barbara's family would like to extend their gratitude and special thanks to the many wonderful staff and caregivers at The Village at Waterman Lake, and Hope Hospice and Palliative Care of Rhode Island.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Barbara Harty to Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, One Moeller Place, Pawtucket, RI 02860; or the San Miguel School of Providence, 525 Branch Avenue, Providence, RI 02904.