Barbara Marie Tani Frisbie

Former Newtown

Resident

Barbara Marie Tani Frisbie, 89, of Edwardsville, Ill., died December 11 at Alhambra Care Center in Alhambra, Ill. after a lengthy illness. Mrs Frisbie was a former resident of Newtown for many years.

She was born on September 6, 1917, in Garfield, N.J., the daughter of Paul and Mary Makl Tani. She married Russell Peck Frisbie on June 16, 1943, on the Naval Base in Jacksonville, Fla. They divorced in 1978, after which she moved from Connecticut to Holiday Shores in Edwardsville. Several years later she moved to New Smyrna Beach, Fla., but returned to Edwardsville in September 1998.

 She is survived by a son, Dr Theodore R. Frisbie and wife, Dr Charlotte J. Frisbie, of Edwardsville; two daughters, Barbara Hope Martin and husband, John, of Ararat, Va. and Susan Gail Frisbie-Rabelo and husband, Patricio Varas Gomez, of Salamanca, Spain; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Frisbie, Jennifer Frisbie, Sherri Brugh, Andrea Martin, Sarah Bottcher, and Guillermo Frisbie-Rabelo; and seven great-grandchildren, Helena, Gwynn, Sydney, Demi, Colin, Zachary, and Trinity Sky. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews and other relatives scattered across the country.

 In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by brothers Paul, Peter and Joseph, and sisters Mary and Katherine.

 During her marriage, Mrs Frisbie was a homemaker and served as bookkeeper for her husband’s construction and masonry business. During World War II, she worked for the Plastic Molding Corporation in Sandy Hook. There, she manufactured bomb sight parts and other items essential for the war effort. She later transferred to Fabric Fire Hose Company, also in Sandy Hook. Her mastery of the machinery soon resulted in a supervisory position.

She was a long-term volunteer for The American Heart Association, a member of the gardening club, and assisted the elderly with transportation and other needs. This was continued with her sister, Katherine, after moving to Florida, and also included frequent visits to nursing homes. In Edwardsville, she was a member of the Quercus Grove Rural Club, as well as its Women’s Club. She was an avid gardener, stamp and dog figurine collector, animal lover, and a highly skilled fisherwoman.

Saska Mateer Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements. A memorial service will be scheduled when the cremated remains are interred at St Rose Cemetery, Sandy Hook.

 Memorials are suggested to Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) at aspca.org or the American Heart Association, 2550 US Highway One, North Brunswick NJ 08902.

The Newtown Bee      December 15, 2006