Barbara (Whiting) MacGregor

     Barbara (Whiting) MacGregor of Wolfeboro, NH, age 82, passed away on the morning of March 4, 2022. She was surrounded by her loving family. She had been struggling for years with severe arthritis as well as the ravages of Alzheimer’s.

     Barbara was born in Newton, MA on April 24, 1939, the oldest child of Wayne O. and Dorothy (Onthank) Whiting.  She attended schools in Newton graduating from Newton High School West in 1957.  During high school, she spent one summer in Greece as an American Field Service student.  Barbara attended Colby College for two years, and then transferred to Boston University, graduating cum laude in 1961.  Barbara was a French major and pursued post-graduate studies in Grenoble, France, and then at the University of Colorado in Boulder.  She taught French at Wellesley Junior High School before her marriage, and then later at East Longmeadow MA Christian Day School.  Later in life, she worked at two veterinary clinics, was the registrar at Berne University in Wolfeboro, and then worked as an accounting assistant in her husband’s accounting and tax practice.  For several years she greatly enjoyed working as a volunteer at the Huggins Hospital Fair.

     Barbara always had a tie to and loved Lake Winnipesaukee and the Wolfeboro area.  In her younger years, she and her family vacationed at her grandparent’s cottage on Tuftonboro Neck.  As a teenager, she stayed with her aunt and uncle in Wolfeboro and worked as a waitress for two summers at Dockside and one at the Colonial Arms Restaurant.  While Barbara was never into the “beauty pageant circuit”, she was beautiful and very talented as a pianist. In her senior year, she was voted Miss Boston University and then was selected as Miss Winnipesaukee in the summer of 1961. She, her husband, Bruce whom she married in 1964, and daughters Carol Anne and Laurie Elizabeth also vacationed several years in Tuftonboro.  In 1994 Barbara and Bruce moved to Wolfeboro, residing on Winter Harbor. 

     Barbara was a person of strong Christian faith and values, serving The Lord for many years as a Sunday School teacher and youth group leader/advisor. Later, Barbara chose to meet the Lord on her own, not being a member of any church but remaining a strong, prayer warrior and pillar of strength for her family.

     Barbara was an animal lover.  She was one of the founders of the Waterville, Maine Area Humane Society, which celebrated 50 years of humane service in 2021.  Later while living in Amherst, MA, she was the primary founder of P.E.T.S. (Placement, Education, Treatment & Shelter). PETS was a rescue group serving the five-college area.  Barbara almost always had multiple cats and dogs. At one time in Amherst, when no additional foster homes were available there were 14 cats in the MacGregor home!

     Barbara is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bruce MacGregor of Wolfeboro; and by her two daughters and their husbands: Carol and Manuel Barba of Rye, NH, and Laurie and Blaise Beakes of Rollinsford, NH. She is also survived by her brother and his wife: Dr. Richard D. and Suzanne Whiting of West Lebanon, NH.  Barbara also has eight grandchildren: Immanuel, Benjamin, Izaiah, Sarah-Grace and Zacchais Barba, DeVonn Wilson-Miles and Bailey and Leila Beakes. 

A memorial service in the Spring is being planned by the family which will be announced later. In lieu of flowers donations in Barbara's memory may be made to the Lakes Region Humane Society, PO Box 655 Ossipee, NH 03864

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