Mary Jane Barry, 89, of Newport, RI died Monday, July 19, 2021, at Newport Hospital after a long illness. Born July 12, 1932, in Newport, she was a daughter of the late Lawrence Joseph “Joe” Barry and Anna “Babe” (Brice) Barry.
Jane attended Newport public schools graduating from Rogers High School in 1950. She was a Girl Scout for most of her youth starting as a Brownie in 1939 and she capped her time as a Girl Scout representing Rhode Island at the Girl Scouts Western Hemisphere Camp in Muskegon, Michigan during her senior year in high school. Jane’s love of nursing started after high school when she chose to attend nursing school at Meriden Hospital in Connecticut. Graduating in 1953 she then joined the US Navy Nurse Corps and was stationed in New York, Hawaii, and The Marshall Islands. After her time in the Navy, Jane returned to school attending Boston College for a BS in nursing, Boston University for MS in nursing, and a Ph.D. in Physiology from New York University. After graduating from New York University Jane started a career in education as a professor of nursing at New York University. Moving on she accepted a position at Boston University where she was the Chair of the Doctoral Program in Nursing. Then she went to Salem State where she was the Director of the Nursing Program. It was at Salem State where she helped to develop a joint MS Nursing – MBA program recognizing that nurses are not only the caregivers but administrators and managers in our health care system.
Jane finished her career in education when she returned to Newport and accepted a position as a full professor at Salve Regina University helping to guide the next generation of nurses. It was here in Newport where Jane was able to further her love of both education and nursing giving her time to the Navy Nurse Corps Association, two terms on the Newport School Committee, the Rhode Island State Board of Nursing Registration, and many years with Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice, formerly known as Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties.
Jane is survived by her sister Geraldine “Babe” Nagle of Newport, her brother John Barry of Arlington, MA, her nephew Patrick Nagle of Newport, her nieces Beth Davin of Concord, NH and Megan Miller of Fall City, WA, and many more nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank all caregivers who helped Jane these last few months, the staff of All About Home Care, Newport Hospital 2nd floor (Kim), and the nurses from Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held Monday, July 26 at St. Augustin’s Church, corner of Carroll & Harrison Ave, Newport at 10:00 am. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice, 1184 East Main Rd, Portsmouth, RI 02871.
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