Barbara Holgerson
Barbara Holgerson Obituary
Barbara Holgerson, 74, of Needham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2025, surrounded by her family.
Born in Taunton, Massachusetts to Viriginia Hood McDonald and Robert E. McDonald, Barbara was a devoted wife of 54 years to her husband, Dr. William Holgerson. She was a loving mother to her seven children and their spouses: Kristen (husband Vito), Bret (wife Leemarie), Brooke (husband Mike), Ross (partner Lakshmi), Adam (wife Rory), Jillian (husband Chase) and Kaitlin Baillie. She was also a proud grandmother to eleven grandchildren: Francesca, Ottavia, Hutch, Scarlett, Dashiell, Bennett, Kingston, Genevieve, Avery, Wilhelmina and Brielle.
She is also survived by her siblings Marilyn, Robert (partner Sue) and Mary (husband John). She was predeceased by her sister Kathleen and her twin brother Brian. She will be deeply missed by her many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Barbara’s greatest gifts were her warmth, kindness and commitment to others. She will be remembered for her generous spirit, her deep love for her family, and her ability to make everyone feel special.
With Barbara, life was a celebration. She lit up every room she walked into, with her booming laugh and her melodic voice that made everything she said sound like a song. You felt like you lived in a technicolor dream when you were around her.
Her flair for the dramatic came from her love of theater, first when she was a young woman onstage in high school and college productions and in later years as an audience member alongside her husband, Bill. Barbara loved art and music and plays and shows; and she was never predictable in her tastes. She would listen to AC/DC one moment and watch Masterpiece Theater the next.
Barbara’s irreverent sense of humor was a delight. She had many opinions and was only too happy to share them: The best drink in the world is milk; dessert is the only meal that matters; going for a walk is a waste of time but walking around a TJ Maxx is an adventure; there are no time limits on naps; if the squirrels eat the birdseed, feed them peanuts because they are obviously hungry; you can never have too many hydrangeas.
Her creativity and larger than life persona was on full display in the life she made for her family. She loved to cook elaborate meals and bake, and she never cleaned up. An ardent shopper with a keen eye for fashion, Barbara never bought a practical gift of clothing and instead showered her family with sequins and tutus and cashmere socks. Her home was filled with color and whimsy.
Barbara cared enormously for the world and the people in it. She found meaning in everyday interactions and she was always looking for a way to help others. She would often walk away from conversations knowing personal details about people she just met; she never forgot a birthday or graduation or anniversary; she had a box filled with cards for every occasion and bins of wrapping paper for gifts because she celebrated every milestone for anyone fortunate enough to know her. If something was important to you, it was important to Barbara too.
Everything about Barbara was extravagant, including the love and generosity she showed others. Her family is so proud of the way she lived and feel so lucky to have learned from her.
The family will be having a private ceremony to honor Barbara and they ask that if yours is one of the many lives she touched, you consider doing as she would and in lieu of flowers make a donation to one of the many causes that she cared about:
Bob Woodruff Foundation https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/
Doctors Without Borders http://www.donate.doctorswithoutborders.org
Perkins School for the Blind https://www.perkins.org/
Rosie’s Place https://www.rosiesplace.org/