Obituary of Cathleen Sharp Barber

Cathleen Sharp Barber, 70, of Cossayuna, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 16, 2017 at her home surrounded by her loving family.  “Cath” as her friends called her was born February 27, 1947 in Cambridge, New York, to Donald Brooks Hackel and Phyllis Burns Hackel.  After her Mother’s marriage to William Leland Sharp, Jr. she and her older sister Rusty (Gladys Sharp) were adopted by their step-father, she then became Cathleen Sharp.

On July 2, 2000, she married her best friend and confidant John C. Barber.  Prior to her present marriage, Cathy was married to Raymond P. Talmadge.  They had three children and were married for twenty years.

Cathy graduated from Greenwich Central School in the class of 1965.  Later she attended Adirondack Community College.  She worked at many different jobs over the years; everything from a vegetable stand to banking.  The job that she enjoyed the most was being the Town Historian of Greenwich.  She loved history, genealogy, and people.  Two of the accomplishments that she was proudest of, were getting three tennis courts built at her alma mater and helping to start a peripheral neuropathy support group name N.E.N.A.S., a satellite of the Neuropathy Association.

Cathy cherished spending time with her children and grandchildren.  She also loved working in the garden tending to her plants, had an affection for conducting genealogical research, and enjoyed traveling to Ireland.

She was a member of the Greenwich Historical Association, the Washington County Historical Society, a former secretary of the Greenwich Alumni Association, and the United Church of Greenwich.

She was predeceased by her father, William L. Sharp Jr., her biological father, Donald B. Hackel, her mother, Phyllis Burns Sharp, and her beloved infant granddaughter, Isabel Ray Lackman Erbe.

Cathy is survived by her husband John C. Barber; her children, Monte Aaron Talmadge (Renee) of Greenwich, Cara Dewi Talmadge (Art Erbe) of Easton, and Brian Ray Talmadge (Christina) of Hebron, and father of their three children Raymond P. Talmadge; brothers, William Sharp of Fairview Heights, Illinois, Edward Sharp of Easton, Daniel Hackel of Waterford, Robert Hackel of Schodack Landing, and Donald Hackel of Tennessee; sisters, Gladys Sharp of Fairhaven, Vermont, Judith Patrick of Greenwich, Jennifer Kuzmich of Greenwich, Joy Adler of Troy, Janice Hackel of Waterford, and Deborah Gavigan of Beaufort, South Carolina; five grandchildren whom she adored, Lucas, Adeline, Amelia, Penelope, Annabelle, and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

At Cathy’s request, there will be no calling hours.  Services will be private with the family being cared for by the Flynn Bros. Inc. Funeral Home in Greenwich.  The family wishes to thank all of those who stopped by to see her, sent cards and cared for her over the last few months, especially the nurses at High Peaks Hospice.

Donations in Cathy’s name may be made to the associations near and dear to her, The Neuropathy Association, 60 East 42nd St, Suite 942, New York, NY, 10165 or High Peaks Hospice, 79 Glenwood Avenue, Queensbury, New York, 12804.

Online condolences and messages to the family may be made at www.flynnbrosinc.com