Barbara S. Eaton

February 25, 1946 - May 21, 2026

HUDSON

Barbara Eaton was an incredible woman. Her 80 years were filled with countless adventures, learning opportunities, volunteer work, and memories with those she was closest to and people she had just met. She was an educator, a lifelong learner, a seasoned traveler, and the most wonderful friend and mother. Hers was a life well-lived, sadly shortened by a several year battle with cancer.

Barbara was born in London in 1946 to her parents, Alfred Stocker and Bronislawa Stocker (Jedrezejewska) who had fled Poland during World War II. Shortly after she was born, her family immigrated to the United States where they lived in Maryland for several years before settling in Waterbury, Connecticut. They became fast friends with the Malinowskis who soon became family to Barbara and her parents. Together, they celebrated holidays, major life events, and vacationed in North Truro on Cape Cod for many summers.

Barbara attended Albertus Magnus College in New Haven where she studied French and met some of her best, lifelong friends, including Diane Gowdy and Denise Terry. She earned her Master’s degree from Wesleyan University and began teaching French and Spanish, a career that spanned over four decades and resulted in countless long-lasting friendships. Barbara taught and became department head at Notre Dame Academy for over 20 years before moving to Foxborough High School where she also taught and served as department head until her retirement in 2013.

Throughout her life, she frequently found opportunities to travel internationally, often with others, whether to study a language (she learned French, Spanish, and Italian, and managed to retain some of her Polish from childhood), explore art museums, or visit her dear Uncle Stach in England. She struck up conversations everywhere she went, often in one of the many languages she spoke. Most recently, on her 80th birthday trip to London, she was spotted getting out of a cab in the middle of a full-blown conversation in Polish with her driver. Barbara often returned home with a new connection that grew into a friendship.

When she wasn't jet setting, she was leading tours as a docent for the Worcester Art Museum, teaching ESL through the Hudson adult learning center, participating in multiple book clubs (locally and internationally, via Zoom), taking private Italian lessons, tutoring students of all ages in Spanish and French, taking art history classes, hosting and cooking, caring for her pets, and admiring southwestern jewelry at the Silver Buffalo. Even with Barbara’s many commitments and interests, she always had time for her daughter, Adrienne Eaton, and her many friends.

Barbara was a brave, resilient, unstoppable woman who is missed so much already. She leaves behind an extensive group of dear friends and family (too many to list) from around the world, “the girls” - Phomdaen, Lindsay, Molly, and Heather - who she often referred to as her “other daughters”, and her best friend and biggest fan, her daughter, Adrienne Eaton.

A memorial celebration honoring Barbara’s life will be held at a later date. 

Once arrangements are finalized, service details will be posted on the funeral home’s website (www.HaysFuneralHome.com). Arrangements are under the care of Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main Street, Northborough.

In lieu of flowers, Barbara’s family respectfully suggests memorial donations in her memory be made to either the Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609 (www.worcesterart.org), or to the Barbara S. Eaton Scholarship Fund at Watertown High School.*

*Donations to the scholarship fund may be made by check payable to “Watertown Public Schools” and mailed to: Watertown High School, Attn: Magali Quibaka, 27 Westminster Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472. Please include Barbara’s name in the memo line.