Kathleen Cooleen Barry's Obituary
On December 28, 2023, Kathleen Anne Barry (nee Cooleen), of Preston, MD passed away peacefully at home.
Born in Washington, DC, Kathleen was the 3rd of Fergus & Mary (nee Carey) Cooleen's five children. She spent her childhood in Georgetown and graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1958. Upon graduation she joined the Civil Service Commission during the Kennedy Administration and enjoyed a long and successful career with the Federal Government. She retired from the National Institutes of Health with over 40 years of service. Kathleen was also a proprietor of several Irish Pubs in the Washington area in the 1970s & 80s and was an active member of the Washington, D.C. Irish American Club.
Kathleen spent many years raising her children in Burtonsville, Maryland and upon her retirement in 2006 she relocated to Preston, Maryland. Kathleen's years in Preston were spent enjoying time with her grandchildren & great-grandchildren, serving as a Town Commissioner, as an active member of the Preston Historical Society, and participant in many other civic and social clubs on the Eastern Shore. She also served as a volunteer at the Easton Family YMCA for their youth water safety program. She was an avid traveler and had visited all 50 United States, toured several countries, and sailed many cruises.
She is survived by her children Margaret (Brian) McLemore, Theresa (Donald Coffey), Sean, Kevin, 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Eamon, daughter-in-law Michelle, and former husband John Barry. She is also survived by her siblings Mary Ellen Gregory, Margaret/Happy Sugrue, John Joseph Cooleen, Agnes Hale, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.
Services for Kathleen will be held Monday, January 8, 2024 at Framptom Funeral Home in Federalsburg, MD at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service. Burial will follow services at Junior Order Cemetery in Preston, MD.
In lieu of flowers friends & family may consider a donation to a local charity of their choice.
Share memories with the family at www.framptom.com
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