OAKLAND — Barbara Robinson Bridgman, 89, of Oakland, Maine passed away quietly on Saturday, February 25th, 2012 after a short period of declining health.
Barbara was born on June 30th, 1922 in Boston, Massachusetts, the first child of Frank and Mary Robinson. Barbara grew up on Beacon Hill. She and her family summered on Nantucket, purchasing a house and barn there in 1930. After elementary school, Barbara attended the Winsor School in Boston, except for the year she turned fourteen, when her family lived in Paris, France where she attended an all- French school. The family traveled extensively in Europe with her artist- architect father. Barbara graduated from Smith College in 1945, majoring in Art History. She lived in the German House senior year, rooming with her future sister in law, Caroline Bridgman. Afterwards she attended the Art Students League of New York for two years, studying with Zorach and others, while residing at International House.
In 1947 Barbara married David Bridgman. They lived in Boston where Barbara taught at the Park School while David completed his PhD at Harvard. David taught at the Loomis School in Connecticut from 1950 to 1955, where their son Gregory and daughter Laura were born. In 1955 the family moved to Oakland, Maine to a rural farmhouse, a mile down what was then a dirt road to the west of Colby College, where David taught until 1978. Two more daughters, Emily and Mary were born. Summers were spent with Barbara’s family on Nantucket. Barbara had the added responsibility of assisting her husband with college matters as his eyesight failed.
After her husband David died in 2004, she was able to devote time to her own desires. Barbara commuted to art classes at the University of Maine at Augusta for several years as an octogenarian student and traveled, mostly around New England, visiting friends and relatives. She played Mah Jong almost every Sunday, until her last, with a devoted group of friends. Barbara, known by relatives as Pooksie, will be remembered as a great cook and gracious hostess. She was a very dear and courageous person, bright, intelligent and friendly. She had many friends in the Colby and Waterville communities.
Barbara was predeceased by her daughter Emily and by her husband.
She is survived by her brother Cervin and wife Lucy Hodgson of New York City, daughter Mary, also of New York City, Laura of Oakland, Gregory and his wife Anne of West Bath, Maine and their sons Nathaniel of Tokyo, Japan and Roscoe and his wife Megan of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
There will be a celebration of Barbara’s life at the Lorimer Chapel at Colby College on Saturday March 24th at 11 am. This coming summer Barbara’s ashes will be interred next to David’s and Emily’s at the Lakeview Cemetery in Oakland. Arrangements by Wheeler Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
obits@timesrecord.com
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