Barbara Handy

Saco

*Service Updates*

Barbara Bailey Handy, devoted wife, mother, and grandmother passed away peacefully on March 18, 2025, at Seal Rock Healthcare, Atlantic Heights Community in Saco, Maine at the age of 91.

Born on November 26, 1933, in Woodsville, NH, to Clifton and Hazel (Currier) Bailey. Barbara grew up in Wells River, Vt. She attended the Wells River Graded School and went on to Becker Junior College in Worcester, MA which launched her thirty-year career as a medical secretary and transcriptionist. She met her future husband,  Richard "Dick" Handy in Hanover, NH while she was working and Dick was attending Dartmouth College and they soon started their family. They enjoyed 69 years of devoted marriage until his passing in July of 2024. They raised their four children in Quincy and Scituate Mass, and retired first to Cape Cod, and later to Maine where they lived out their years.

A woman of many talents and interests, Barbara was an inspiration to many who learned from her example. She was an accomplished knitter, seamstress, quilter, rug braider and needleworker. She loved her piano and sang in several chorales over her lifetime. She was an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction alike, a talented cook and intrepid vegetable gardener. She was devoted to a long succession of pets as well as the Boston Celtics.

Barbara had a gift for making connections wherever she went. Whether traveling abroad or simply running errands, she always seemed to meet someone with an unexpected tie to her life. She was outgoing, warm, and endlessly engaging—traits that made her unforgettable to all who knew her.

Her adventurous spirit led her on many adventures hiking, cross-country skiing, golfing, camping, fishing, and boating. She and Dick treasured their travels, often with friends, both throughout New England and abroad. Perhaps her deepest passion was reserved for the time spent at the family camp on Sebec Lake in Maine where many good times were had and fond memories made. She will be deeply missed by her family and everyone that knew her.

Barbara was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Richard "Dick" Handy, in July 2024. She is survived by her loving children: Donna (Bill) Flynn of Otisfield, ME; Susan Handy of Yarmouth Port, MA; Phil (Lynne) Handy of West Barnstable, MA; and Christine Bulman of Parsonsfield, ME. She also leaves behind nine beloved grandchildren by whom she was affectionately called "Mimi" —Devin (Lynnsey) Flynn and Kayleigh (Kam) Flynn, Kate Wilfert, Cole and Alyssa Handy, and Carter, Sophie, Clara, and Andrew Bulman and four adored great-grandchildren, Jack and Rowan Flynn, Mabel and Ellie Mertz, along with many extended family members and friends.

A memorial service for both Barb and Dick Handy will be held on June 7th 1:30pm at Wells River Congregational Church UCC, 76 Main St N, Wells River, VT.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy of Maine, the Arthritis Foundation, or to a charity or organization of your choosing.

To view Barbara's memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com