(1941-2026)

Sister Francine Barber, baptized Frances Jeanette Barber, died on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 85 years of age and in the 58th year of her religious profession: 34 in the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Edmonds, Washington, and in her 24th year in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Francine was born in Pueblo, Colorado, to James Franklin and Corrine Charlotte (DeFord) Barber. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in education/foreign language from Western Washington State University in Bellingham, and a master’s degree in pastoral studies/religious formation from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri.

Sister Francine ministered for more than 10 years in education in Seattle. She served the Edmonds Dominican Congregation for six years as formation director and for three years on the Leadership Team, both in Edmonds, Washington. Sister ministered for six years in lay ministry formation at the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, followed by five years as pastoral associate for volunteers in local parishes in Seattle. She also served for four years as the Director of Catechesis/Formation for the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado. Sister Francine served as a faculty member with the Catechetical Certification Program in Seattle and later for 11 years as a spiritual director and retreat leader at Assumption Convent in Seattle. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2022.

Sister was preceded in death by her parents, her half-brother Leo William, and her half-sister Margaret Barber Beard. She is survived by other loving family members and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

Those who are not attending services in person are welcome to participate via live stream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

Left to right: Frances, circa 1944; 1962 graduate of Western Washington University, Bellingham; Frances with her parents, James and Corinne Barber, on Entrance Day, 1965; Sister Francine, ministering at St. Luke School, Seattle, Washington

LEFT: From left, Sisters Cele Gorman, Sharon Park, and Francine Barber. RIGHT: Members of the 1998-2003 Leadership Team of the Edmonds Dominican Sisters, before the merger with the Adrian Dominican Sisters, are, from left, Sisters Dorothy Berg, Francine Barber, Carolyn Roeber, and Michele Kopp (Prioress).

LEFT: Members of the Metanoia Mission Group during the 2015 completion of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, shown from left: Sisters Molly Giller, Mary Katherine Drouin, Patricia Benson, Francine Barber, Teresa Disch, Marilyn Barnett, Leonor Esnard, Mary Kathryn Cliatt, Beverly Bobola, and Christa Marsik. RIGHT: Sister Francine Barber during her years in lay formation ministry for the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, 1990-1996.

Members of the 2016 Golden Jubilee June Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Durstyne Farnan, Attracta Kelly (Prioress), Theresa Mayrand, and Sandra Exley; middle row, from left, Sisters Romona Nowak, Janet Stankowski, Maria del Rey Plain, Frances Nadolny, Barbara Rund; and front row, from left, Sisters Judith Silva, Carol Weber, Kathleen Schanz, Sally Ormsby, Francine Barber, and Mary Trina McCormick.

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