Barbara Joan Harley

Barbara J. Harley of Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, completed her journey here on earth on February 5, 2013 at the age of 93 after a full life of love and service to her family and the Lord. Born on April 22, 1919 in Portland, Maine, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Henry and Mary Justina (Conroy) Catterson. She was a 1938 graduate of Portland High School and a 1941 graduate of Mercy Mount Hospital School of Nursing both in Portland, Maine. She was a Registered Nurse for many years at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine and Rhode Island Veterans Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island before marrying her husband, the late Col. George E. Harley, Jr. (USAR-Ret.) in 1952. Barbara then joined her husband, as a proprietor of Harley's Food Market and Matunuck General Store, in Matunuck Beach, Rhode Island, for over 30 years. She retired to Indian Harbour Beach in 1983 and was an active parishioner of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church for the past 28 years. Barbara was a strong, independent, kind and generous woman. Her greatest joy was her family, and she raised her children and influenced her grandchildren to appreciate the importance of humor, learning and faith in the Lord. She was known for her life-long love of sports especially bowling and her passion for the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots. She will be greatly missed. She was predeceased by her brothers, Thomas and George Thomas Catterson of Portland, Maine, and her sister Mary Celine Breckel of Greenville, Rhode Island. She was the loving mother of two sons, George Edward Harley III of Indian Harbour Beach and Paul Thomas Harley and his wife Christina of Centreville, Virginia; loving grandmother of three grandchildren, Christopher, Jonathan (Jay) and Caroline Harley of Centreville and devoted aunt of eight nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited by the family to attend a celebration of her life at a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday March 2, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. celebrated at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, 3050 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic, FL 32903. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. Interment will be held by her family in early April at St. Ann's Cemetery, Cranston, RI. Arrangements have been entrusted to Beach Funeral Home of Indian Harbour Beach.