Contributions to the tribute of Michelina Barbieri

Michelina Barbieri

1931 - 2023

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Saturday, September 23, 2023

Long before I ever met my Aunt Mickey, I heard stories about the adventures my mom--Olympia (Lee), Mickey's elder sister by two years--had with her. They always included some sort of comedy and sometimes a gutsy confrontation with someone. My mom told me when they were in high school, Mickey was called to the principal's office. She was a natural redhead but had dark brown eyebrows. Apparently, the school thought she was using makeup or dyeing her eyebrows (which were prohibited) and they scolded her and told her she couldn't use makeup or hair dye. She reacted feistily and said (per the story), "You fools, these are my natural eyebrows!!" She and my mom spent some time in the 1950s together in New York City. At one job, a woman asked my mom how it was that she and her sister wore such stylish and seemingly expensive clothes on their salaries; my mom told her sister made their clothes based on the latest fashions. I didn't meet Mickey until the early 1980s when she and her family moved to Cortland. I remember sort of being shocked that there was this other sister/aunt (even though I had heard stories of her) that I wasn't meeting until I was about 12. We were at my grandmother's house and my mom and Mickey had not seen each other in many years. When Mickey first saw my mom, she glanced at her outfit and said (with her classic Mickey inflection), "Lee....sneakers???" sort of suggesting in a very comical way that my mom was not dressed up enough for hanging out on that random summer afternoon. It made us all laugh and that was my introduction to my Aunt Mickey. For many years, that was a joke between me and my mom: if either of us thought the other was not dressed up enough for some event, we'd say, "Lee....sneakers???" I had the pleasure of visiting with her a few times in recent years and happily my mom also got to see her a number of times in the several years before my mom passed away in 2019. They are together now, having fun, laughing and causing trouble! I am so sorry I am not able to be there for the service. The East Coast storm struck at just the wrong moment for me to travel. I will be watching and will be there in spirit. I hope you can all take comfort that she lived a long and good life and brought a lot of joy and laughter to those around her. (Photo is Mickey on the left and Lee on the right.)

Frances Coughlin posted a condolence

Thursday, September 21, 2023

Ah, dear Mickey, where do I begin? Mickey was without a doubt the most brilliant seamstress ever. As a child, I remember her throwing a bolt of fabric onto our parents’ couch, and turning it into slipcovers for the couch and chair – no pattern or instructions, just instinct. Growing up, Mickey was really my “Junior Mommy” – sewing me the most beautiful clothes. Every Easter she made sure that I had a lovely dress (and sometimes a coat, Syracuse weather, you know), a pretty hat, little white gloves, and those longed-for patent leather Mary Janes. She once even made a totally reversible coat for one of my dolls. She was amazing! I remember when she worked "downtown" that she often brought home delicious glazed doughnuts, which Mom and I loved to share with her. To this day, I think of her every time I see glazed doughnuts. Mickey also had the most wonderful sense of humor, injecting it into every conversation and occasion. As adults, no matter what may be troubling her, our phone conversations always erupted into bursts of laughter over some crazy thing she said. I will surely miss that. Mickey, you lived a good, long life. Now you walk with the angels. Give Mom and Papa a hug for me.

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Michelina Barbieri

1931 - 2023

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Michelina Barbieri

1931 - 2023

Plant a tree in memory of Michelina

Obituaries & Tributes

Funeral Merchandise

Contact Us

Home | About Us | Funeral Planning | Funeral Merchandise | Pre-Planning | Resources | Obituaries

9 Lincoln Avenue | Cortland, New York | 13045Phone: (607) 756-2885 | Fax: (607) 756-6240 | Email: wrightbeardfh@gmail.com

9 Lincoln Avenue | Cortland, New York | 13045
Phone: (607) 756-2885 | Fax: (607) 756-6240 | Email: wrightbeardfh@gmail.com