Barbara S. Waters

Marine educator Barbara Seaver Waters passed away on August 31, 2022 in Montague, MA.  She was the wife of John F. Waters, who died in 2012.  Barbara grew up in Duxbury, and completed her Bachelor's of Science degree at Smith College. During her 50s she achieved her Master’s Degree in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMASS Boston. Science has always been the focus of Barbara's life which included visiting elementary classrooms in Chatham and Harwich, setting up classroom aquariums and taking her daughter Sandy's kindergarten and first grade classes on field trips to Oyster Pond and to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.   

Barbara's fascination with volcanoes brought her to Hawaii and most recently to Iceland to see a live volcano last summer.  She spent a week on the top of Mount Washington to cook meals for the scientists.   Barbara has also traveled to Ireland, New Zealand, Israel, Pakistan and Egypt.

Barbara has held so many positions in life it would be impossible to name them all.  She was the director of the Museum of  Natural History in Brewster for several years, taught science to sixth graders  when she lived in Maine, helped with the creation of the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center,  worked at the Barnstable County Extension office,  and  served as a ranger at Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham Barbara has made lifelong friends  throughout the 44 years  through her involvement with the Unitarian church, the Chatham Walkers, the Council on Aging and many other organizations and committees.

Without a doubt her greatest professional achievement was being recognized as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Scientist of the Year along with Stephen Jay Gould.  Her family watched proudly as she received the award from then Governor Weld at the Massachusetts Statehouse in 1993.

Besides her husband John, Barbara is predeceased by her brothers Ted and Dick.  Barbara is survived by her four children, Hap, Sandy, Lane and Rocky, and loved being 'Baba' to her 10 grandchildren.  She is also survived by her brother George and her sister Robin.  A Memorial Service in remembrance of Barbara, will be observed on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House 819 Main St, Chatham, MA 02633 at 2pm, with private interment service, will take place at the convenience of Barbara’s family. Expressions of affection in the form of a charitable contribution in Barbara’s memory, are encouraged to Friends of Pleasant Bay, P.O. Box 1243, Harwich, MA 02645.  Friends are invited to share memories of Barbara, at her Tribute Wall which may be found at www.mccarthyfuneralhomes.com  The McCarthy Funeral Homes of Greenfield and Turners Falls, MA, have been entrusted with Barbara’s care and arrangements.

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