Maria R. Barrett

Maria and Gingersnap

When the time comes that we can’t be together,
keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.

Maria R. Barrett, 86 of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Anacortes, Washington passed away peacefully with family members at her side on November 11th, 2022, in Kirkland, Washington under Hospice Care.

She was born in Huntington, Long Island, New York in December 1935.

Maria’s family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida during her grade school years where she remained throughout high school. In 1953, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. She attended Blair Business School there and worked as an Administrative Professional for many years including at the U S Air Force Academy. Maria also worked as a Real Estate Agent and hosted a local radio show for Seniors at KWYD Radio. After retiring, she relocated to Anacortes, Washington to be near her son.

Maria was fun loving, active, athletic, and enjoyed social occasions with family and friends. She loved the ocean…the beach was her favorite place. She treasured nature and loved being in the mountains and hiking, especially in Breckenridge. Fall was one of her favorite seasons, watching the leaves change colors. Maria enjoyed being a sister, and an aunt to her five nieces, she was always willing to lend a helping hand, when needed. She enjoyed spending quality time together, birthdays, picnics in the park and holiday family gatherings, especially Christmas season, enjoying all the lights and decorations.

She was an enthusiastic traveler, taking many cruises in the Caribbean, going down under to New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. She visited most of the countries in Europe while she lived for 3 years in Germany.  She loved Hawaii and visited the Islands a few times.  Maria once swam with wild dolphins in the open ocean.

She was a loving mom to her dogs, Skeezix, a Chihuahua with lots of personality who also loved hiking the mountains of Colorado, thinking she was the “big dog” on the block. Her most recent dog was a Cocker Spaniel named Gingersnap who was very loyal, always by her momma’s side.

Maria also loved music and dancing with Bud.

She was a proud and loving mother who enjoyed listening to her son Nick sing, play guitar, and perform with his bands and duos in various venues, (and at home) in Colorado and Washington state.

She was preceded in death by her father Nicola De Pace, a renowned guitarist who traveled the world performing as part of the musical duo “The De Pace Brothers”,  her cherished mother Maria “Theresa” Lamonaca, husband, E. L. “Bud” Hall, her sister Josephine Prickett, and her niece Jeanette Hollingsworth.

Maria is survived by her devoted son Nick Barrett [Susan] and her nieces Kathy Hollingsworth, Becky Wagner [Pat]  , Darlene Chaney [Craig] and Natalie Harrison [Tim] and their families.

She fought a long and formidable battle with Dementia in her last years.  Maria will be greatly missed, fondly remembered and loved forever.

The family would like to thank the Iancu family and the staff at Golden Cottage Adult Family Home for their devoted care.

Maria’s final resting place will be alongside her loving mother at Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Services and burial at Memorial Gardens Thursday, December 15 at 1:00 pm in Colorado Springs, Colorado.