Birth: September 22, 1936Profession: February 5, 1964Death: December 20, 2011
Religious of the Sacred Heart (Harriet) Louise Barrett died December 20, 2011 at Oakwood, the Society of the Sacred Heart’s elder care center in Atherton, California. A lifelong educator, particularly of elementary age children, Sister Barrett devoted her life to the service of education. Her life will be celebrated in a Mass of Resurrection on Thursday, December 29 at the Oakwood Retirement Center, 140 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton CA 94027. Burial will follow immediately in the Oakwood cemetery.
Sister Barrett was born September 22, 1936 in Seattle to Ralph and Harriet Berens Barrett, who preceded her in death. She is survived by a brother, John C. Barrett of Santa Rosa, Ca. and a sister, Patricia Geraghty, of Seattle and her Sacred Heart family.
Sister Barrett entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at the Kenwood Convent of the Sacred Heart in Albany, New York on June 17, 1955. She professed her first vows January 6, 1958 at Kenwood and made her final vows at the Society of the Sacred Heart motherhouse in Rome on February 5, 1964.
Much of Sister Barrett’s 36-year education ministry was at the Convent of the Sacred Heart (Stuart Hall) in San Francisco and Forest Ridge in Seattle. She also taught at Notre Dame Elementary, San Francisco, St. Patrick School, Roxbury, Mass., St. Elizabeth Seton School, in Palo Alto, Ca. and St. Rita’s School in San Diego. She also served as treasurer for the Convents of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco and in El Cajon, California.
Besides her love for young children, Sister Barrett had a special concern for immigrants and people struggling to get by. She volunteered at homeless shelters and served on the provincial social justice committee. In 1996, she began a new ministry with Catholic Charities of San Jose, where she provided administrative support to the office and program staff. Most recently she did administrative work in the Care department at Oakwood.
An alumna of Forest Ridge Convent of the Sacred Heart, Seattle, Sister Barrett earned a bachelor of arts in chemistry, with minors in French and social studies, from Lone Mountain - San Francisco College for Women. She held life certifications in elementary and secondary education from the state of California.