COWEN, Barbara Hayes Of Lexington, formerly of Winthrop, MA, died on December 6. She was the wife of the late George M. Cowen, mother of Deborah Cunha and husband Barry of Lexington, Katherine Rosa and husband Tom of Groton, MA, Mary Lyon and husband Paul of Merrimac, MA, Paul Cowen, and wife Nancy of Lynnfield, MA, Judy Blanco and husband Rich of Santa Clara, CA, and Jean Cowen and Mike Violet of Herndon, VA, and loving grandmother of 19 grandchildren. She graduated from Winthrop High School in 1945 and Katherine Gibbs School in 1947 and returned to college in her 50s and graduated from Framingham State in 1990 and received a Masers degree in Early Childhood Education from Salem State in 1994 and was awarded a Life Time Masters Degree from the Commonwealth of Mass in 1985. Barbara taught at Community Nursery School of Lexington for 37 years. Barbara loved and enjoyed her family, particularly being together at holidays - her favorite holiday was Harvest Day when all would gather in October to celebrate Thanksgiving at Hayesfield Farm in Parsonsfield, Maine. She enjoyed her friends, swimming, bridge, contra dancing, and being a member of the About Time tappers in Lexington and was thrilled to tap at the Hatch Shell, Boston and on 42nd Street in New York City. She became politically active in Maine when the beach at Province Lake, where her family had swum for over 80 years, was threatened to be closed. Through her efforts and those of local residents, the State of Maine did not erect the guardrail, which would have closed the beach. Barbara was a founding member and President of the Father ODonohoe Lecture Series, Inc, created in memory of Father James A. ODonohoe to carry on his legacy of teaching and learning in the Catholic faith. Funeral from the Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Rd., LEXINGTON, Friday Dec. 13 at 11am followed by a Mass of Christian burial at Sacred Heart Church, Lexington at 12pm. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours Thursday from 4pm to 8pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the The O'Donohoe Lecture Series, Inc., P.O. Box 550065, N. Waltham, MA 02455. Private interment Maplewood Cemetery, Parsonsfield, ME.