Barbara McVety

AUGUSTA – Barbara Elizabeth (Coughlin) McVety, 94, died peacefully on Jan. 22, 2026, in Augusta. She was born Dec. 7, 1931, in Portland, Maine, the daughter of Frank and E. Barbara Coughlin. Her mother passed during her birth so she was raised by her uncle and aunt, Ernest “Mac” and Marion Glencross in Bangor, Maine.

Mrs. McVety attended Bangor High School and graduated from Carmel High School in 1949. She graduated from Eastern Maine General Hospital in 1952. She was a R.N. in addition to being a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor.

She worked 18 years as a counselor/supervisor for New Directions, an outpatient counseling service, a program of HealthReach Network, prior to her retirement in 1996. She was honored for her professionalism, dedication and caring for the total well-being of clients as a 1983 recipient of the Kimberly Russell Landry Memorial Award. In 1989, the National Council on Alcoholism presented Barbara the Marty Mann Award for her work with women in recovery.

Her husband James died in 1977, her beloved daughter Catherine Abbott passed in 2001 and her son David passed in 2020. She was also predeceased by her parents, including her stepmother Margaret Coughlin, her foster parents, her sister Margaret “Peggy” Carter, her brothers Donald, Bud and Jim Glencross, her brother Jim Coughlin, sisters-in-law Maragret and June Glencross, Marion Coughlin, Maryanne and Tom Perkins, brothers-in-law George McVety, Robert Carter and Frederick and Maureen Burrill.

Mrs. McVety was a communicant of St. Michaels Catholic Church. She enjoyed all of her family and many friends who often traveled with her to the rocks at Pemaquid to enjoy the ocean and to just “be”.

She is survived by her two sons, Paul and his wife Andrea of Warwick R.I. and Joe and his wife Arlene of Augusta, Maine, and son-in-law John Abbott, daughter-in-law Linda McVety and sister-in-law Judy McVety; eight grandchildren, Rob (Vika), Chris (Caitlin), Matt (Avi), Brian (Liz), Dan (Sammie), Amanda (Chris), Wiley (Melanie) and Jake (Helen)’ 13 great grandchildren, Nora, Hadley, Lyla, Cora, Charlotte, Tori, Tucker, Abby, Theo, Wes, Jack, Owen and Eli. She was loved by many nieces and nephews.

Mom was a very kind special lady who was loved by many and will be missed by all. She touched many lives and was the rock of our family. We want to thank the staffs at the Inn at City Hall and Augusta Center for Health & Rehabilitation for the great care and love they provided to our mother.

A funeral Mass at St. Michaels will be coordinated in the summer. Interment will be in Corinna Village Cemetery, Corinna.