Catherine Rose Barry

" She was a light ;

And also very bright .

Through her pain ; 

She would never complain .

Her laughter rang aloud ;

Of that we were all proud .

Physiology was her field ;

And empathy was her deed .

Trains from Far Rockaway ;

Would not deter her away .

To them she would run ;

As it was part of fun .

With a coffee container in her hand ;

And a wave to Phyllis by the door as a stand .

On weekends the family would convene ;

To laugh and eat and do things in between .

In passing , her memory lingers ;

As we raise to heavens our fingers .

With Steve and Megan carrying on

A Catherine legacy that lives on .

For Catherine's spirit shall live forever ;

Calling on us to stay together .

She is now in a better place ;

With God touching her beautiful face " 

Catherine Rose Barry was born January 25th, 1953 to Phyllis Lasser Barry and Edward J. Barry in Far Rockaway, New York. She had the great good fortune to be born into a large extended family and so had numerous brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles - and a great choice of dinner at the homes of all of them!

In school she proved to be an excellent student and worked her way through St. John's University, where she also played varsity basketball for a time. After college she stayed at St. John's for a masters degree in biology then continued grad studies at Mt. Sinai, obtaining a phD in Physiology in 1984. She and Steve met at Mt. Sinai, had a first "date" on July 5th 1980, and got engaged in August, and married November 15th, 1980 - a whirlwind! Not all whirlwinds work out well, but this one seemed to, for more than 40 years. After school they moved to North Carolina, where they took fellowships, were active in biomedical research, and partnered and collaborated on several major projects. Their daughter Megan came into Cathy's life at this time and became the center of both of their lives. Motherhood ultimately proved so satisfying, and strenuous, that Cathy eventually stepped back from active professional work to concentrate on things she considered more important.

Everyone who has engaged with Cathy likely has benefitted from her efforts, and personal qualities; care, integrity, empathy, kindness, generosity, attention to important details, and relentless determination. Those of us fortunate to spend time with her have been among the truly blessed. She was a wonderful person, friend, spouse, and mother who loved and was loved dearly.

Please Note: Masks and social distancing are required of all visitors. The number of visitors will be limited at ALL TIMES to 35 persons for the safety of the family as well as all guests. Please be mindful that visitors are to be respectful to those who may be waiting to visit by keeping your stay brief.   Thank You.