Barbara Finkel

Formerly of Newton, age 94, passed away peacefully at the Hebrew SeniorLife in Roslindale, MA on Friday, December 9, 2016. She joins Richard, her husband of thirty-eight years. Barbara was the cherished mother to Jeanne and Diane, mother-in-law to Alan & Neil, grandmother to Adam, Karen, Benjie and Alexis, and great grandmother to Jeremiah and Rebecca, as well as a beloved sister to Trosi Kaplan and aunt to Aimee, Pam, Bruce, and their children. She was “Nana” to us all, friends and family alike—a matriarch around whom our holidays were organized and enjoyed. A lover of the Swan Boats and “Cantonese” cuisine, Nana was a lifetime Bostonian, born in Boston on November 20, 1922. She grew up in Dorchester. She loved to reminisce about her childhood, when she lived in a three-story house full of extended family. She especially adored her grandmother Jenny and mother Yolande—the two women who were her main source of wisdom. Continuing their tradition, Nana took great joy in cooking holiday meals for the family in Newton, where she raised her family for thirty years. She also loved to knit sweaters, scarves and afghans for her family. She will be missed by us all. Funeral service will be private. Barbara’s family will be sitting shiva from 3 – 8pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at her daughter Diane’s home in Bedford, MA. Friends and relatives are respectfully invited to attend. Memorial donations may be made in lieu of flowers to: Hebrew SeniorLife, 1200 Centre Street, Roslindale, MA 02131.