Barbara J. Rigali

Barbara Jean Geraghty Rigali passed peacefully on September 17,2024 at the age of 89. Barbara loved to write and many of the following words were written by her.

She was born in San Francisco, California on December 28, 1934 to Thomas Patrick and Evelyn Ellen Geraghty. Her brother Tom was 4 years older. When Barbara was six her sister Jean Antoinette was born. “I had been asking for a sister for some time and believed I had gotten my wish, I recall sitting at our kitchen table and helping my mom pick out names.” Barbara grew up in a row house in San Francisco and in the summers her family would go camping on the Russian River. She and her brother Tom loved to tease their younger sister Jean and one time they convinced Jean that they were related to the racehorse Seabiscuit.

Barbara attended Presentation High School in San Francisco. She spent her free time with her friends walking to the beach and Golden Gate Park, playing canasta on her front porch and attending dances at the Presidio and the Sir Frances Drake Hotel. Barbara was adventurous, at 21 she moved to Albuquerque NM with two friends.  “We arrived in Albuquerque on a Grayhound Bus in June of 1956 about 5pm. We had no clue as to where we would stay”. At the end of the summer her two friends moved back to California, Barbara stayed. “I loved being independent and was having too much fun to go home.” She joined a Catholic Church group for singles, where she made many new friends and met her future husband.

Barbara married Donald Joseph Rigali on August 25,1962. “I am one of the few women I know who credits her husband with being the most positive force in her life.” Four children, Mark, Paul, Donna and Christine, quickly followed. Barbara sang to her children, rarely said no to a pet or having friends over (she never said no to having Robert over), encouraged healthy habits and hobbies, and always had blue cheese dogs and orange rolls on camping trips. “I had always wanted four children and I enjoyed them so much.” Tragically, her son Paul passed away in 1995. His death left a huge hole in her heart that never quite healed.

Barbara loved to learn and after seeing all 4 of her children graduate college she joked about attending Norte Dame and then started at UNM. She graduated from UNM on May 14, 1994 with a bachelors degree in University Studies, emphasizing art history. Barbara had a generous spirit, she volunteered with and donated to many charitable organizations. She was a member of Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) whose goal is to support women around the world through education. Her marriage was very important to her. This drove her to become active in the Catholic organizations Marriage Encounter, devoted to strengthening marriages through prayer and communication and Retrouvaille, a program designed to help seriously troubled marriages. “I feel my marriage has healed old traumas that would have inhibited me from moving ahead and developing into a fully functioning adult. I do not that think I could have done that myself.”

Barbara had many hobbies. She loved to swim, paint and draw. She played Bridge, loved to travel and read. “My husband and I love to travel and have been as far as Israel and Jordan and as close as Arizona. We also spend a lot of time in our cabin in Colorado. My favorite everyday hobby is reading. I read novels as well as biographies, autobiographies, history etc.” Her favorite activity was spending time with her family, her husband of 62 years, her children and especially her four granddaughters Isabella, Valerie, Sophia and Natalie. Barbara will be terribly missed by all!

Funeral mass will be held Saturday, November 16th at 10:30am. Reception and lunch to follow in church hall. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church1594 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho.  In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Casa Angelica