SERVICES & OBITUARY FOR BARBARA J. BARNETT (NOVOTNY)

BARNETT, BARBARA J., (NOVOTNY) 96, of Warwick, passed away Friday December 6, 2019. She was the beloved wife of the late Alec Collin Barnett. She was born in Ossining, NY, and grew up in Chappaqua, NY. She received her RN degree from Columbia University/St. Lukes Hospital in New York City. Upon graduation she entered the Army Nurse Corps where she served during WWII in Georgia caring for wounded soldiers from Europe. She was always frustrated that she did not get to serve on the front lines, and had to stay in Georgia. After the war, she left the Army as a Second Lieutenant and then attended Syracuse University where she earned her BS degree in Public Health. This is where she met her future husband, Alec, who was also attending Syracuse, and worked in the kitchen at Barbara's sorority house. They were married in 1950 and lived in Briarcliff Manor, NY and then in Croton-on-Hudson, NY until they retired and moved to Warwick in 1988. They were both very active in St. Lukes Episcopal Church in East Greenwich. Approximately 20 years ago they moved to The Village at Waterman Lake in Greenville. Alec passed away one year ago, after 68 years of a wonderful marriage. Barbara was pre-deceased by her daughter, Laura Barnett-Sparhawk, MD, who passed away in 2004 of cancer. She leaves 2 sons, Steven Barnett of Dover Plains, NY, and Donald Barnett of Wappinger Falls, NY, as well as Laura's husband, Dana Sparhawk, M.D., of East Greenwich, and 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. A committal service with military honors will be held Thursday, December 12th, at 10:30 am at the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Please gather in the administration parking lot. Published in The Providence Journal on Dec. 11, 2019.