Susan Chittenden Barber

SOUTHBURY - Susan Chittenden Barber, 98, of Southbury and Madison, Connecticut, passed away on April 14, 2021 after a brief illness. She was the wife for 58 years of the late W. Craig Barber.

She was born on March 16, 1923 in Waterbury, to William and Rebecca (Eliot) Chittenden of Naugatuck. After growing up in Naugatuck, she lived for many years in Wolcott, followed by Watertown and finally Southbury. She cherished her summers on the shore in Madison at the Chittenden Family compound where she enjoyed sailing and tennis but most of all her family. She attended St Margaret's School in Waterbury, Wheaton College and obtained her master’s degree from Columbia. After a brief career in occupational therapy, she dedicated the rest of her life to her family.

Always an athlete, she played tennis and golf and liked to win. All her grandkids will never forget competing and losing to her in Chinese Checkers and Scrabble. She passed her enthusiasm for sports and competition on to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Travel was a passion as well. Susan gave back by volunteering in many non profit endeavors. She was most active at the Southmayd Home and The Mattatuck Museum.

What Susan brought best to everyone who knew her was her love of people. There were no strangers to her, just someone she hadn’t met yet.

She is survived by her sons Terry and his partner Susan, Bill and his wife Betsy, and Rob and his wife Bridget, and grandchildren Sam and his wife Kate, John and his wife Liz, Ted and his wife Anje, Peter and his wife Jackie, Charlie and his wife Carey, Zach, Martha and Bea and 7 great grandchildren. In addition, she is survived by her sister Ginny Pierpont and brother Bill Chittenden and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Besides her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her son Jeb and her sister Mary Zonino.

A memorial service will be held this summer in Madison. In lieu of Flowers, donations may be made to the Chittenden Family Fund at the Connecticut Community Foundation, 43 Field St, Waterbury, CT 06702 (www.conncf.org) or the Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St., Waterbury, CT 06702 (www.mattmuseum.org). O’Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Ave., Forestville is honored to assist the family. To leave an online message of condolence, share a memory or a photo, please visit Susan’s Tribute page at www.OBrien-FuneralHome.com.

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