Montpelier Barbara Thurlow passed away peacefully at Rowan Court in Barre on March 6, 2015 at the age of 91.She was born in Auburn, Maine in 1923, the daughter of Franklin and Marion Prescott. She attended Edward Little High School in Auburn and then went on to Farmington Normal School and the University of Maine in Orono, where she studied to be a teacher. She taught first grade in Rumford and Cape Elizabeth and she loved it. All her life she told stories of the children she had met and taught. At the University of Maine she met Frederick Thurlow. They married in 1951. They lived in Mapleton, Lubec and Bar Harbor before moving to Bedford, Massachusetts in 1959. Barbara was a librarian in Bedford in the 1970s. She and Fred returned to their beloved Maine in 1978 and settled in Manchester. After Fred's death in 1986, Barbara moved to Hallowell, Maine. In recent years she has lived in Montpelier and Barre, at Westview Meadows, the Gary Home, as well as Rowan Court. She received excellent care at all three facilities, and made many friends among the devoted and caring staff and other residents that came to know her. Barbara leaves three children, Ann (David Malahoff) of PEI, Canada; Douglas (Karin) of Madison, Wisconsin and David (Judy) of Montpelier. She also leaves three much beloved grandchildren: Cassady (David Yochoff), Peter, and Tom. She is survived by her adored brother Bill Prescott, many nieces and nephews, and old and dear friends. Barbara loved playing and listening to music, being outside, birdwatching, and housekeeping. She had a special fondness for the ocean, particularly Popham Beach in Maine. She was always ready to give a helping hand, and was a lover of cats and dogs. She was a proud member of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Augusta, where she worked as secretary for several years. A memorial service will take place at a later date. Please consider donating to an appropriate charity in Barbara's memory. On-line condolences may be sent to www.guareandsons.com