Barbara Chandler Larner

Barbara Larner, 92 died peacefully in her sleep Sunday, May 20, 2012 after suffering a debilitating fall three weeks prior. All her children and her loving husband Edward were with her in the Concord Home where she lived since 1977.

She was born in Brockton to Joseph and Gladys (Perkins) Chandler. Upon graduation from East Bridgewater High School, she attended Wellesley College, class of 1941, majoring in Philosophy. She then attended the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School. Before marrying Edward, she was a proud graduate of the Fanny Farmer Cooking School.

Married in the Unitarian Church in East Bridgewater on March 6, 1943, the couple had a one-night honeymoon at the Wayside Inn. Edward was a U.S. Navy Ensign, and soon they travelled to the San Francisco Bay area where Edward was a supply officer at the Alameda Naval Air Station until the end of WWII. Their first son, Ned was born there in 1944. Barbara flew back to Boston in time for the birth of Holly on December 11, 1945, a birthday she shares with her father. James was born in 1950. The young family lived in Lexington from 1948 until 1955.

Barbara was active in the Lend-a-Hand at First Parish Church as well as a founding member of the Hancock Tennis Club, which was built in their backyard by the returning Lexington veterans. The family lived in Amherst N.H., from 1955 until 1062, on Commonwealth Ave., Boston from 1962 to 1964 and moved to Concord in 1964 where she resided for the remainder of her life. She was active as a volunteer at Emerson Hospital and the founding member of a ladies bridge group that remains active today. She led an active social life hosting many Christmas parties for Monument St. neighbors and family 4th of July gatherings.

Barbara was a renowned local artist and was a contributing member of the Copley Society and the Concord Art Association. She was a member of Partners in Printmaking at the deCordova Museum in Lincoln during the 1980's. She specialized in oils, acrylics and prints with over 400 completed works. She often produced landscapes of the Concord area, as well as the many places where she travelled, mostly in France, Italy, Greece, Egypt and Spain. She was a colorist, producing many large imaginative abstract works starting in the 1960's. Barbara continued painting until her death, often depicting the fields and hills surrounding her home. The Concord Art Assoc. presented a retrospective of her work on her 80th birthday in 1999 as a one -rtist exhibition. She especially enjoyed her association with the many local artists, including Loring M. Coleman.

In addition to Edward A. Larner Jr., her husband of 69 years, she is survived by her children Holly, James and Ned, two grandchildren Ross Larner and his wife Olga and Rusty Larner and his wife Julie, four great-granddaughters Katrina, Tallulah, Penelope and Rose. She also leaves her brother, Dr. John Chandler of Worcester and her sister Sally Sargent of Landenberg PA, and many nieces and nephews locally, across the country and around the world.

Donations in her memory may be made to:
Concord Art Association
37 Lexington Road.
Concord, MA 01742
www.concordart.org


Arrangements under the care of Glenn D. Burlamachi, CONCORD FUNERAL HOME, Concord.

Proud to be family owned, operated and occupied since 1936.