Barbara Anne (Shapland) Sweatman

ATHOL - Barbara Anne (Shapland) Sweatman, 85, of Athol, died Saturday, November 3, 2012 in the Athol Memorial Hospital. Barbara was born in Fitchburg on May 7, 1927, the daughter of Arthur and Margaret (MacFarlane) Shapland.  She was raised in Fitchburg and graduated from Fitchburg High School in 1946.   Before her marriage, Barbara worked for the former Hedstrom Union in the payroll department.  She resided in Fitchburg with her family and was a homemaker for most of her life.  She moved to Largo, Florida with her husband, Brian Sweatman, in 1987 where they resided for nearly twenty years.  Upon her husband's passing in 2007, Barbara moved to Athol to be closer to her family.  Barbara was an avid knitter and enjoyed baking.  She was a devoted and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She leaves five children, Ross Sweatman and his wife Boneva of Fitchburg, Jon Sweatman and his wife Diane of Townsend, Cheryl Martin and her husband Stephen of Presque Isle, ME, Deborah Plotkin and her husband Jeffrey of Athol, Mark Sweatman and his wife Donna of Brighton, MI; two sisters, Jean Shapland of Fitchburg, Judith Widlake and her husband Kenneth of Glen Burnie, MD; sister-in-law, Bonnie Shapland of Fitchburg; eleven grandchildren, Heather Sweatman, Derrick Plotkin and his wife Natalie, Matthew Sweatman and his wife Melissa, Marcie Babin and her husband David Jr., Benjamin Martin, Joshua Plotkin, Jodi Massey and her husband Brian, Eric Martin, Danielle Kya Plotkin, Scott Sweatman, Aaron J. Sweatman; four great grandchildren, Emily Babin, David Babin III, Jacob Babin and Jenna Sweatman; and many nieces and nephews. Barbara was predeceased by her husband of sixty years, Brian Sweatman in 2007; by her brother, Arthur Shapland Jr.; and by her granddaughter, Jennifer Sweatman, in 1999. A memorial service will be held Friday, November 9, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the Fiske-Murphy & Mack Funeral Home, 110 New Athol Road, Orange.   Burial will be private. There will be a calling hour from 1 p.m. to the start of the service. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions be made in her memory to the Jennifer Sweatman Memorial Fund, c/o Jon Sweatman, 101 Highland St., Townsend, MA 01469. For more information or to sign our online guest book please visit www.fiskemurphymack.com. Fiske-Murphy & Mack Funeral Home 110 New Athol Road, Orange is directing arrangements. $(document).ready(function(){ });