Barbara Ann Claire Kean of Milton, MA passed away peacefully on Friday, October 9, 2026, with her loving son, Gabe, by her side. Born on July 14, 1952, in Cambridge, Maryland, Barbara was the cherished daughter of the late Herbert P. and Doris M. Kean.

Barbara shared happy times with her family growing up in Morristown, NJ: car rides full of singing; learning how to identify trees and plants in the woods; listening to her father recite his favorite poems; and learning about both her father’s Jewish and her mother’s Christian heritage. On Christmas Eve, her family would look for the Star of Bethlehem and join carolers in area town squares. Barbara also enjoyed going antiquing with her parents.

Barbara graduated from Morristown High School in 1970, where she was part of “The Butterworth Gang” of classmates, named after their neighborhood, and was known as “Bunni.” She took on student leadership roles, joined the modern dance and future teachers clubs, served on the school newspaper, and was elected “most friendly” of her class and to prom court.

Barbara graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1974, with an A.B. in English, where she served as a student advisor; was elected to the English, romance languages, and journalism honor societies; and was active in ecology, peace and theater groups. Her poetry appeared in the student literary publication. After college, Barbara followed her adventurous spirit to travel through Britain, Ireland and Europe, visiting her Irish and Swedish relatives along the way. A most memorable moment of that journey occurred when Barbara’s Irish relatives took her to their family farmstead in the countryside, where they recited poetry and danced Irish jigs alongside the glow of a fire.

Upon returning to the States, Barbara’s adventure took her to the Boston, MA area, where she lived the remainder of her life in the varied communities of Somerville, Cambridge, Concord, Maynard, and Milton. Several years after moving, Barbara earned an MS in Library Science from Simmons University, education she applied in employment with Lesley University, the Cambridge Public Library, and Green Meadow Elementary School in Maynard.

The greatest joy of Barbara’s life was welcoming her beloved son Gabriel into the world. She devoted herself to providing for Gabe’s healthy development and education that encouraged intellectual, emotional, artistic, and spiritual exploration. Gabe remembers his mother as “a strong, caring, kind and selfless person who went out of her way to help others and those in need. She was always there for me as a mom and never shied away from a challenge, be it political, educational, familial or otherwise. Growing up, she was supportive of my hobbies and passions like art, music and skateboarding. My mother was a loving and loyal family member to all her relatives, near and far.”

Eventually, Barbara's love of children and desire to encourage their self discovery and growth drew her to teaching positions devoted to educating young children in the Concord Public Schools. To support her dedication to teaching, she earned her Master of Education degree from Lesley University in 2001. Barbara also led children’s spiritual education for Unitarian and Episcopal congregations. She spent many hours creating learning experiences built around the arts, reflecting her belief in the importance of creative expression for children’s development.

Barbara’s spiritual calling led her to explore diverse faith communities, eventually finding her home with Episcopal congregations in her home town of Milton. She was devoted to St. Francis and St. Clare as spiritual guides throughout her life, taking on Claire as her confirmation name. Her son notes, “Over the years, I watched her devotion to her faith blossom in numerous ways, from mentoring and teaching of children in Sunday school to her singing and readings at church! She was a woman of God, and it wasn’t hard to tell – she had a humble grace and glow that was clearly not prepared or false in any way.”

In 2024, the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association selected Barbara as a “Thanks-for-Giving” honoree, in recognition of her varied contributions to Church of Our Saviour Episcopal Church, where she was a member for many years. The church expressed being grateful for the wisdom, kindness and joy that Barbara brought to its community. As a retired teacher, Barbara fit into serving as a Sunday school leader very well with her ability to teach all ages about the love of God, described as inspiring. Barbara also served on the church vestry, offering her special sensitivity to church liturgy.

Barbara’s creativity could be seen in the colors, textures, patterns, and placement of fabrics, furniture and artwork in her interior living spaces, a talent she shared with her mother. She embraced delicate beauty – soft pastel colors of pink (her favorite), lavender, yellow, sage green; gentle fabrics with embroidery and pointelle weave — and was forever inspired by flowers. A college English professor once called her a true romantic, seen in her attention to welcoming others through carefully-selected flowers and food (especially cake) served on delicate floral dishes, another of her passions.

Barbara had many solid friendships that lasted throughout her lifetime, gathered during high school and college and through her church communities. She willingly spent hours listening and providing support to friends when they faced challenges, and celebrated those relationships with fun and joy in the good times. Friends remember her beautiful smile, child-like appreciation of the natural world, and attraction to things out of the ordinary and unpredictable, which made for a very interesting life.

Barbara loved Cape Cod and Cape Ann, especially the town of Rockport, which she enjoyed visiting with family and friends over the years. When her son Gabe moved to Cape Cod, she had extra reason to travel there often with her companion, Leo, fun times spent together that are treasured.

The compassion Barbara extended to others was present even as she faced her own serious health condition that took her in and out of hospital care frequently, especially in her last few years. While Barbara struggled herself, she noticed the struggles of other patients and advocated for improvements in their care. The legacy of injustice imposed on Native Americans especially concerned her, which she studied through courses offered by her church.

Barbara is survived by her son Gabriel K. Bustamante; long-time companion Leo Casey; brother Steven A. Kean; aunt Sally Kean; and cousins Kathy Kean, Michele Mathews and husband David, and Scott Kean and partner Sheree Platt.

Though Barbara no longer walks among us, her spirit lives on in the memories of her kindness, her warm embrace, and her great compassion for those less fortunate. “I am confident that my mother is up there smiling down on us now, and yet somehow with us at the same time. I love you, Mom, and hope to see you again one day!”

A Celebration of Life service will be held in the spring at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 112 Randolph Ave, Milton, MA. In lieu of flowers, if preferred, please consider donations in Barbara’s memory to Church of Our Saviour, 453 Adams Street, Milton MA 02186; St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 112 Randolph Avenue, Milton MA 02186; or South Shore Habitat for Humanity, 77 Accord Park, Unit D7, Norwell MA 02061.