Obituary of Barbara Z. Geraghty

Barbara Geraghty, long-time Darien resident and dedicated staff member at the Noroton Presbyterian Church, died of cancer on Monday, February 11th, 2008 in Stamford. Born June 6th, 1952 in Bronxville, NY, to Bette B. and Edward A. Zellers (both deceased), Mrs. Geraghty was the eldest of two children. The family resided in Port Chester, NY, in an area now known as Rye Brook, until 1968, when they moved to Livingston, NJ where Mrs. Geraghty graduated from high school. After earning a bachelor's degree, cum laude, in Special and Elementary Education from Rhode Island College in 1974, she worked as a teacher and administrator of special education programs for emotionally challenged adolescents. While working, she earned a Master's degree, summa cum laude, in Education/Administration from Boston University. In 1978, Mrs. Geraghty was recruited by IBM to work as a systems analyst in Manhattan, whereupon she took up residence in Jersey City and became part of a growing population of young professionals revitalizing that urban landscape. In 1987, she left IBM and over the ensuing years worked for several computer, software, and consulting firms in marketing, management, and systems engineering. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Thomas J. Geraghty. The couple was married in 1991, settled in Darien, and the same year gave birth to their son Brian. Mrs. Geraghty has been a member of the Noroton Presbyterian Church since 1992, and was increasingly active in lay-based ministries there until 1999 when she was hired full-time as the Director of Children's Ministry. In addition to administering and teaching in the Sunday School program, Mrs. Geraghty was instrumental in establishing a thriving state-licensed child care service called "Tot Drop", and in reinvigorating the church's nursery school, whose enrollment nearly doubled during her tenure. Each summer she directed the imaginative and very popular Vacation Bible School program and participated in youth mission trips to rural Mississippi and West Virginia. She also promoted the involvement of young people in the church's outreach programs to Norwalk's Emergency Shelter and Carver Center. Complementing her activities with the church, Mrs. Geraghty also served as a leader for her son's Cub Scouts den and then his Boy Scout troop, twice running the annual Tag Sale fund-raiser. She was also active in the nationwide fight against breast cancer and was one of 22 women featured in the exhibition "Faces of Light: Stories from Breast Cancer Survivors". In 2006, Mrs. Geraghty started taking night classes at Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary. She loved sailing, reading, gardening, traveling, art, antique furniture, conquering the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle, and, more recently, her "psycho-babble" yoga group. She was very close to her mother Bette Zellers who lived with the Geraghty family from 2001 until she passed away last month. "Barbara was such a creative force; her genuine enthusiasm and love for the children was matched with boundless patience and good humor, and was sustained by her abiding faith in the Lord," said her colleagues, who added, "she was dearly loved by her church community and will be greatly missed." "Fond memories of Mrs. Geraghty will endure in the hearts and minds of her friends, family members, and the generations of young people to whom she dedicated so much of her spirit and energy," said her family. Mrs. Geraghty is survived by her husband Tom and son Brian, and her brother and sister-in-law Ted and Wendy Zellers and their son T.K., of Ann Arbor, MI. She would want to acknowledge, with sincerest appreciation, those dear friends, neighbors, and members of the church who so generously gave of themselves to help care for her and for her mother over these past few months. Calling (visitation) hours will be on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 from 3-5 and 7-9 pm at the Lawrence Funeral Home of Darien (visit www. lawrencefuneralhome.com). A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 3:30 pm at the Noroton Presbyterian Church of Darien. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Noroton Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 3401, Darien, CT 06820 in Mrs. Geraghty's name to support an effort by the family to establish a scholarship fund to assist members of the church enrolled in seminary. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820