Barbara S. Caouette, 86, of Sanford, Maine passed away on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California. 

Barbara was born on August 6, 1935, to Almon and Elizabeth (Costello) Stackpole in Sanford, Maine where she grew up and attended local schools, graduating from Sanford High School in 1953.  In 1959 she married Paul H. Caouette, settled in Sanford and together they raised four children and shared 34 years of marriage until his death in 1994.   

During her working life, Barbara worked in the local newspaper industry, beginning her career at the Sanford Tribune in the “hot type” pressroom operating the Linotype machine and helping to layout the newspaper to print each day.  After a number of years, as technology evolved, she moved to operating photo-typesetting equipment for the new bi-weekly Journal Tribune where she began working when the Sanford Tribune merged with the Biddeford-Saco Journal.  She eventually left to help found and lead Sanford’s new weekly hometown newspaper,  The Sanford News, where she stayed for many years as the general manager and head of sales until her retirement. 

Barbara had a passion for life, stayed very active and never sat in one place for too long.  For many years she taught senior adult fitness at Sanford Community Adult Education and worked briefly at Ballenger Auto before taking a job as a bus tour director for Alpine tours which she enjoyed doing for quite some time.  She loved traveling, meeting people and seeing the world and this job enabled her to do all those things.  She directed tours all over the country from Maine to California, Canada and even Alaska.  She often enjoyed the company of her sister-in-law and best friend, Arlene Stackpole while on these trips. 

Barbara was a sports enthusiast throughout her life.  When she was young, she liked to play sports with her brother and his friends and had even broken her arm playing football.  She was a talented athlete and played basketball and softball in high school.  She continued her love of sports after graduation, playing adult softball and coaching basketball at St. Ignatius High School from 1955 to 1968.  She was also very proud of the fact that she was able to play basketball in the Senior Olympics in Florida.  She loved watching and attending any sporting event and had also been involved coaching some of her children’s teams when they were young. 

Barbara was a devout Catholic and had been a communicant of St. Ignatius Parish and more recently St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Sanford.  In the past she had served as both a Eucharistic Minister and as a member of the parish council.  She was also very active in her community and had been a member of the Sanford Chamber of Commerce and other civic groups.  She loved Sanford and was proud to live here.  She treasured her time at her small cottage on Wilson Lake in Acton, Maine in the summers.  She also loved Palm Springs, California where she traveled each winter and had become a second home to her for many years. 

Barbara was very active and outgoing woman.  She was always a people person, easily engaged those around her and knew practically everyone in town.  She enjoyed people of all ages and all walks of life and easily made friends wherever she went.  She will be remembered as a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and considerate friend to many.  She had a deep love of life, family and people and will be dearly missed by her family and friends. 

Barbara was predeceased by her husband Paul Caouette and by her brother, Roger Stackpole. 

Surviving are four children, David Caouette of Palm Springs, California, Gary Caouette of Henderson, Nevada, Michelle Michaud and her husband James of Wells, Maine and Steven Caouette of Las Vegas, Nevada; eight grandchildren, Jennifer Robinson and her husband Craig, Kristin Caouette and her husband Marc Cuthbertson, Paul Michaud and his wife Dahlia, Andrew Michaud, Isaac Michaud, Olivia Michaud, Wyatt Caouette and Luke Michaud and two great-grandchildren, Isla and Veda Robinson. 

Visitation will be held at the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home located at 580 Main Street in Springvale from 4:00 to 7:30 PM on Tuesday, July 5th.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 6th at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, located on North Avenue in Sanford.  Internment will follow at St. Ignatius Cemetery.  For those unable to attend Barbara’s funeral in person, it will also be livestreamed from the parish website at www.stthereseparishmaine.org 

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider sending a memorial contribution to the American Heart Association, 51 US Route 1, Suite M, Scarborough, Maine 04074 or St. Thomas School, 69 North Avenue, Sanford, Maine 04073. 

Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale, Maine. 

To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit www.blackfuneralhomes.com