Kathleen Lucille (Barch) Vincent

BALDWINVILLE – Kathleen Lucille Vincent, 83, of Baldwinville, died peacefully on Friday, April 20, 2018, at Buckley Nursing Home in Greenfield of complications from Alzheimer’s disease with her family by her side. Born in Woburn, Mass., the daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Cullivan) Barch, she grew up in Woburn. She was the wife of the late Gerard G. Vincent, who died in 2013. She is survived by eight of her 11 children, Margaret O’Connell of Charlton, Danielle Mulvey and her husband Gordon of Conway, Tama Vincent of Conway, Pierre Vincent of Amherst, New York, John Vincent of Baldwinville, Jamie Vincent of Trinidad, California, Lucille Vincent of South Deerfield, and Leo Vincent and his wife Jenny of Ithaca, New York; daughter-in-law Carol Vincent of Dracut, as well as her brothers Richard Barch of California, and Robert Barch of Woburn. She had 18 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She was also survived by her dearest cousin Marion Cullivan of Woburn and dear friend Gracie Swanson of Ashby. She was predeceased by her children Thomas, Joseph and Sally Vincent; and brothers Joseph, William and Daniel Barch. Kathleen attended Woburn High School, where she was on the Thespian Society, field hockey team, was a cheerleader and was in several plays, graduating in 1952. She often spoke fondly of the elocution lessons that she and friend Gracie took as youths. She attended Lowell Teacher’s College for one year, before marrying Gerard G. Vincent in 1954 and moving together to Denver, Colorado, where she took classes at the local college and worked at Bowman Bakery making cookies before having her first child, Tommy, who died as an infant. Returning to New England, they bounced around to several spots, from Hindsdale, N.H., to Pepperell, Mass., Worcester, Mass., and spending several decades raising a family in a big farmhouse in Hubbardston, Mass., before eventually living in Phillipston and Baldwinville. During those years she devoted most of her energy and intellect into raising a brood of children to be proud of, though she also took odd jobs as a waitress at The Hubbardston Inn or a cafeteria lady at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham and in West Boylston. She was active in the Church, attending Holy Spirit Church in Gardner and being a Eucharistic minister, participating in Renew, being a member of a prayer group, and being a part of the Catholic House of Ammon in Hubbardston, run by the Rev. Bernard Gilgun, even having them hold Masses in our (cleaned-up) barn one year. She dabbled in gardening and painting, but her main hobby besides raising her children was a love of poetry, at which she was quite accomplished, having won the Worcester Poetry Association award in 1996, participating in a poetry group and doing readings. She always maintained a keen sense of perception and a wry sense of humor. She knew every nursery rhyme ever written and had a ready stock of sayings, such as “watch out for the other guy,” and had on her wall sayings such as “Welcome to Nana’s House, a place to warm your heart & share sweet memories,” and “Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” She was often the life of the party, quick to don a clown’s nose or wear a funny hat, and renowned for leading legions of children through the big white house on Williamsville Road, with only a candle in her hand, in the yearly Halloween “ghost walk.” As an adult, she later attended Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner and Smith College in Northampton, majoring in theater and writing more poetry. Family get-togethers at holidays or every Sunday at the house in Hubbardston for years, were where she reigned. She always loved the hub-bub of the crowd, and the quiet moments talking to this one or that one over the course of the day. A point of pride was that one year a relative counted all the pies that had been prepared for the holiday and it was some ridiculous number 27, 42, it was a lot of pie. She would “read you the menu” if there was ever a hint that you could be hungry, and would cook something up at the drop of a hat. At times she referred to her many children as “Chucky,” “Sam” -- “Brenda” or “Esmerelda” … we all assumed just so she wouldn’t blurt out the wrong name with so many kids going through the house, though it was usually followed by a hint that the sink was full or Dad was out back weeding the garden all by himself. She usually had something optimistic to say, such as “Well, we do what we can do,” “We made it this far,” “Don’t worry about it,” and “We grow too soon old and too late smart.” Once recently, when asked what she had just said, she replied, “I’m just talking to myself, about the good old days.” She was wont to write a letter to her state senator if there was a vexing problem, and often gave her Worcester Telegram newspaper reporter husband ideas for stories to write about, and greatly enjoyed long conversations with the neighbors. When asked how she was feeling, she’d often answer, “With my hands.” When told, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she’d often say, “The good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” She was smart, kind, forgiving, practical and poetic, left-leaning, all-encompassing and loved by one and all. She will be sorely missed. There’ll never be another, of our beloved mother. Thanks go out to Mom’s caregivers everyone from Buckley Nursing Home and all the people with Independence Healthcare, especially Priscilla Yeboah, Sharon Nelson and Pam Maggio, and Emily Lam, all of whom showed true love and compassion while helping her through a difficult time. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service honoring and celebrating her life on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at 11 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 18 Pleasant St., Baldwinville, Mass., and, for those who wish, a calling hour just before that, on Saturday, April 28, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Lamoureax-Fletcher Funeral Home, 105 Central St., Gardner. Burial will follow the Mass, at Brookside Cemetery on Route 68 in Hubbardston at about 12:30 p.m., with a gathering at the house in Baldwinville after that. People are encouraged to attend whatever portion of the ceremony is convenient. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.mackfamilyfh.com. The Lamoureax-Fletcher Funeral Home, a Mack Family funeral home, is handling arrangements.