Obituary of Barbara McQuillen

Barbara Hrabrick McQuillen passed away peacefully at her home in Alameda, California, on June 14, 2026, at the age of 78.

Born on June 23, 1947, on Staten Island, New York, Barbara was the daughter of the late William and Margaret Hrabrick. She grew up in New York, Texas, and the suburbs of Philadelphia, and graduated from Chestnut Hill College, where she studied psychology. Before the birth of her son, she taught at the Devereux School.

Barbara married Harry A. McQuillen III in 1970, and together they made their home first in Philadelphia, then in Tenafly, New Jersey, and finally in Darien, Connecticut, where they lived until Harry's passing in 1997. In the years that followed, Barbara's love of the water guided her first to Orleans on Cape Cod, then, following her son west, to San Francisco, where she sang in her church choir, and finally to Alameda.

She adored her animals, her beloved bearded collies and tabby cats, and was endlessly delighted by dolphins, giraffes, the magic of Disney, and The Wizard of Oz. Most of all she treasured her granddaughter, Lucia, who was the great joy of her later years.

Barbara was predeceased by her husband, Harry A. McQuillen III, in 1997, and by her sister, Carlene Weston, in 2021. She is survived by her son, Harry McQuillen, and his wife, January; her cherished granddaughter, Lucia McQuillen; her brothers, William (Colleen) Hrabrick and Stephen (Esther) Hrabrick; and her nieces and nephews, Lynsey Riley, Catie Hrabrick, John Blaize Hrabrick, Natalie Hrabrick, and Carter Hrabrick.

In keeping with Barbara's wishes, there will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John Roman Catholic Church, 1986 Boston Post Road, Darien, Connecticut, on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien, where she will rest beside her husband.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Barbara's name to the World Wildlife Fund or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, her favorite charities.