Barbara Carr Furtado

Portsmouth, RI - Barbara L. Carr Furtado of Oakland Farms, Portsmouth, RI died Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at RI Hospital after a stroke suffered two weeks ago. She was the wife of Francis J. Furtado for almost 38 years. Barbara, the daughter of the late Jack and Mary Downing Carr, was born and educated in Newport and graduated from the former Saint Catherines Academy in 1954. She was a graduate of Mount Saint Vincents College in Riverdale, NY and started her teaching career in Newport Public Schools. Her teaching career led her to Hawaii where she earned her Masters Degree in Education and where she also met her beloved husband, Frank, a naval officer. Barbara traveled extensively with Frank as her served in various locations including Portland, Oregon where he commanded a US Navy Destroyer and she served as Vice Principal of Rose Elementary School with over 800 students. She then returned to Newport, RI where she tutored various students during Franks year at the US Naval War College. In Brussels, Belgium she worked for the US Defense Education Department and served as a reading specialist for the British School of Brussels for three years during Franks tour of duty with N.A.T.O. She then tutored students in reading at St. Gregorys Private School in Loudonville, NY. Of her many teaching assignments, she was most proud of her accomplishments in teaching soldiers, some wounded, at Tripler Army Hospital in Honolulu, HI to read and gain proficiency toward achieving the G.E.D. High School Equivalency. Barbara had a real zest for living and greeted each new experience with enthusiasm. An early member of the Newport Ski Club, she was an expert skier and enjoyed many trips to Aspen, CO and various trips abroad. Barbara loved to travel and enjoyed many trips to Europe. Her fondest travels were to Hawaii, where she met Frank, and to Ireland, the land of her Irish heritage. She was a people person and often engaged tourists in Newport to assist them in finding their way around Newport, her hometown of which she was very proud. Additionally, it was quite common to see Barbara holding conversations with various dogs she encountered during her daily walks in town. She was a longtime member of the Newport Ski Club, the Preservation Society of Newport County, a member of the Edward King House and also several other organizations. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 9 am from Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI with a Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am in St. Marys Church, Memorial Blvd. at Spring Street, Newport, RI. Burial will be private.Visiting hours will be held on Monday, January 10, 2011 from 4-8 pm in the funeral home.