She was born in Durham and grew up in Chapel Hill. She was among the last students to graduate from the downtown Chapel Hill High School. She attended Brandeis University and UNC-Chapel Hill and received bachelor's and master's degrees. She was among the first bus drivers in the Chapel Hill bus system. She was a pastry chef and ran a sewing business. For the last 20 years, she was a teacher in the English as a Second Language program of the Burlington School System.

A private funeral is planned.

Survivors include her husband, J. Robert Barrett; a daughter, Mary Sophia Barrett; her parents, Wayne and Maryellen Bowers; a sister, Ruth Bowers of Highland Park, N.J.; and two brothers, John Bowers of Ithaca, N.Y., and Wayne Bowers of Sitka, Alaska.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to UNC Hospice, 480 Hillsboro St., Suite 800, P.O. Box 1077, Pittsboro, N.C. 27312.