Barbara E (White) Luzzi, 80, of Newport, RI, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2022 at the Riverview Healthcare Center in Coventry, RI. She was the wife of the late Frank E Luzzi Jr.
Born in Newport to the late Frederick and Elizabeth (Sasse) White on July 6,1941, Barbara grew up in Newport and attended St. Mary’s School, St. Catherine’s and Rogers High School.
Barbara worked as an administrative assistant at the James L Maher Center in Middletown and then the LaPlante Center in Wakefield in the 80’s, then moved to Nashua, NH, where she retired from Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. They moved back to RI in 2000.
Barbara was an avid gardener. She believed there were no garden mistakes, only experiments, and her experiments were beautiful. She would search for plants that were lifeless so she could bring them back to life in her gardens and in her home. She was known for losing track of time in her gardens and on occasion someone would have to bring her a flashlight because she always needed “just 5 more minutes”. Her other form of exercise was being a fastidious housekeeper, getting in her “steps” by pushing the vacuum daily. The joke at home growing up was not to put your glass down because it would be washed, dried and put away inside of a minute, or perhaps slide across the freshly polished table. She also adored spending time with and spoiling her grandchildren whenever she could.
Barbara is survived by her children, Mark Pachico (Kim) and Elizabeth Cunningham (David) of Middletown, RI and Kristin Guyette (Jeff) of West Warwick, RI. Barbara also leaves 5 beloved grandchildren, Robert Pachico, Gregory Pachico, Kayla Murphy (Terry), Courtney Cunningham and Ryan Cunningham, and 2 great grandchildren, Brynn Murphy and Wyatt Murphy. She also leaves her sister, Janet Rausch of Somerset, MA, and several nieces and nephew.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Frank E. Luzzi, Jr. and her sister Elizabeth “Tucky” Mahoney.
Services will be private. Memorial donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society.
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