Obituary for Barbara E. Zagrodnick (Conrad)
Barbara (Conrad) Zagrodnick, age 87, a longtime resident of Chelmsford, passed away at the Blaire House of Tewksbury on Monday, January 2, 2023, surrounded by her loving family the day before she passed. She was the beloved wife of Robert Zagrodnick with whom she enjoyed 63 years of marriage.
Barbara was born in Oklahoma City, OK on July 1, 1935, and was the daughter of her late father James (Tex) Conrad and late mother Velma (Dungan) Conrad. Both parents were members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, and her ancestry made her eligible to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization.
Her family migrated across the country to different places such as Altoona, PA where Barbara was baptized in 1938 and Springfield, Ill where Barbara was hit by a truck and seriously injured in 1942 before ending up in Milwaukee, WI where she attended Pulaski High School, taught swimming, was in the Civil Air Patrol and joined the USAF during the Korean War in 1954 at age 19. While in the USAF, she received basic training at Kirtland AFB, NM, was stationed at Westover AFB, MA and McGuire AFB, NJ. She married during her assignment at McGuire AFB. Barbara received head injuries from car accidents while in the service and was declared partially disabled by the Veterans Administration.
After her stint in the USAF, Barbara attended Memphis State College when Elvis Presley also attended, and, after her divorce, returned to Milwaukee, WI in 1956 where she again lived with her family for a short while.
While in Milwaukee, Barbara was in the AF Reserves, attended Marquette University, was very active in the sport of roller skating and competed in dance competitions with her skating partner Robert whom she married in 1959. There they had two children, Sabrina and Roberta, before her husband’s work required the family to move first to Syracuse, NY in 1961, then to Canton, MA in 1963, and ultimately to Chelmsford, MA in 1964 where they have lived ever since.
Barbara and her husband continued to enjoy roller skating competition, and both received a degree from Northeastern University while her husband played a significant role on the Apollo Program while working at Raytheon Co.
Barbara had a strong passion for dogs and became an expert trainer and professional handler of dogs in show, obedience, and agility. Over the years she owned and bred Doberman Pinchers, Rottweilers, and Miniature Pinchers under the name of Gold Medal Kennels and holds many titles in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico in dog competitions. She loved traveling in her camper to dog shows held throughout the Northeast.
She established and ran the Silhouette Modeling Agency for a short time, got a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and ultimately retired as a yellow school bus driver in Lexington, MA.
She often vacationed with her daughter Sabrina, sightseeing the National Parks in the West (with her favorites being Yellowstone, Death Valley, and Bryce Canyon), gambling in Las Vegas and Foxwoods, and rafting the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with her other daughter Roberta. She took a hot air balloon ride over Cape Cod and vacationed in Hawaii with her husband as wedding anniversary gifts from her children. She also loved to play Bingo.
After her retirement from driving the school bus and when she was no longer able to train and handle dogs at shows, she developed another passion. This time it was making jewelry. She would sit at the table for hours on end making items she sold at fairs.
Barbara was diagnosed with early signs of dementia in 2017. She continued to drive herself around to various places and to the Chelmsford Adult Day Care Center where she participated in social activities. She was declared mentally incompetent in 2019 and was no longer able to drive herself. The town provided transportation to and from the center until she could no longer withstand the long bus ride, after which her family picked up that responsibility.
Barbara was enrolled into the Blaire House of Tewksbury Adult Day Care Center in January 2020 and attended that center until it was forced to close in March 2020 due to COVID19. After the closing and throughout the preceding year, her family provided all home care services to her including bathing, dressing, feeding, doctors’ visits, and transportation.
As her dementia progressed and concern for her safety became an increasing issue, she was placed into the Blaire House of Tewksbury Assisted Living Memory Care Unit in February 2021 first in respite care and subsequently as a resident. Her husband visited her almost daily to help feed and entertain her and take her for hour-long rides around the greater area. She loved going for car rides and socializing with people who liked to tease her and make her laugh and grin like her daughter Sabrina’s neighbor Mark.
Barbara became harder to care for as her condition worsened. Personal Care Attendants (PCA’s) were assigned to her by the VA to aid in her well-being. Jessica, in particular, was very caring and loving and was at Barbara’s side when she passed early in the morning.
In addition to her loving husband, Barbara is survived by her two daughters Sabrina (Normandy) Zagrodnick and Roberta (Parker) Zagrodnick, her grandson Dalton Parker, and her granddaughter Jordan Parker. Her two brothers, James and Joe Conrad, and sister Patricia Conrad are all deceased.
In memory of a life so beautifully lived and a woman so deeply loved.
Funeral services and interment will be held privately.
Barbara was born in Oklahoma City, OK on July 1, 1935, and was the daughter of her late father James (Tex) Conrad and late mother Velma (Dungan) Conrad. Both parents were members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, and her ancestry made her eligible to be a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) organization.
Her family migrated across the country to different places such as Altoona, PA where Barbara was baptized in 1938 and Springfield, Ill where Barbara was hit by a truck and seriously injured in 1942 before ending up in Milwaukee, WI where she attended Pulaski High School, taught swimming, was in the Civil Air Patrol and joined the USAF during the Korean War in 1954 at age 19. While in the USAF, she received basic training at Kirtland AFB, NM, was stationed at Westover AFB, MA and McGuire AFB, NJ. She married during her assignment at McGuire AFB. Barbara received head injuries from car accidents while in the service and was declared partially disabled by the Veterans Administration.
After her stint in the USAF, Barbara attended Memphis State College when Elvis Presley also attended, and, after her divorce, returned to Milwaukee, WI in 1956 where she again lived with her family for a short while.
While in Milwaukee, Barbara was in the AF Reserves, attended Marquette University, was very active in the sport of roller skating and competed in dance competitions with her skating partner Robert whom she married in 1959. There they had two children, Sabrina and Roberta, before her husband’s work required the family to move first to Syracuse, NY in 1961, then to Canton, MA in 1963, and ultimately to Chelmsford, MA in 1964 where they have lived ever since.
Barbara and her husband continued to enjoy roller skating competition, and both received a degree from Northeastern University while her husband played a significant role on the Apollo Program while working at Raytheon Co.
Barbara had a strong passion for dogs and became an expert trainer and professional handler of dogs in show, obedience, and agility. Over the years she owned and bred Doberman Pinchers, Rottweilers, and Miniature Pinchers under the name of Gold Medal Kennels and holds many titles in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico in dog competitions. She loved traveling in her camper to dog shows held throughout the Northeast.
She established and ran the Silhouette Modeling Agency for a short time, got a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and ultimately retired as a yellow school bus driver in Lexington, MA.
She often vacationed with her daughter Sabrina, sightseeing the National Parks in the West (with her favorites being Yellowstone, Death Valley, and Bryce Canyon), gambling in Las Vegas and Foxwoods, and rafting the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with her other daughter Roberta. She took a hot air balloon ride over Cape Cod and vacationed in Hawaii with her husband as wedding anniversary gifts from her children. She also loved to play Bingo.
After her retirement from driving the school bus and when she was no longer able to train and handle dogs at shows, she developed another passion. This time it was making jewelry. She would sit at the table for hours on end making items she sold at fairs.
Barbara was diagnosed with early signs of dementia in 2017. She continued to drive herself around to various places and to the Chelmsford Adult Day Care Center where she participated in social activities. She was declared mentally incompetent in 2019 and was no longer able to drive herself. The town provided transportation to and from the center until she could no longer withstand the long bus ride, after which her family picked up that responsibility.
Barbara was enrolled into the Blaire House of Tewksbury Adult Day Care Center in January 2020 and attended that center until it was forced to close in March 2020 due to COVID19. After the closing and throughout the preceding year, her family provided all home care services to her including bathing, dressing, feeding, doctors’ visits, and transportation.
As her dementia progressed and concern for her safety became an increasing issue, she was placed into the Blaire House of Tewksbury Assisted Living Memory Care Unit in February 2021 first in respite care and subsequently as a resident. Her husband visited her almost daily to help feed and entertain her and take her for hour-long rides around the greater area. She loved going for car rides and socializing with people who liked to tease her and make her laugh and grin like her daughter Sabrina’s neighbor Mark.
Barbara became harder to care for as her condition worsened. Personal Care Attendants (PCA’s) were assigned to her by the VA to aid in her well-being. Jessica, in particular, was very caring and loving and was at Barbara’s side when she passed early in the morning.
In addition to her loving husband, Barbara is survived by her two daughters Sabrina (Normandy) Zagrodnick and Roberta (Parker) Zagrodnick, her grandson Dalton Parker, and her granddaughter Jordan Parker. Her two brothers, James and Joe Conrad, and sister Patricia Conrad are all deceased.
In memory of a life so beautifully lived and a woman so deeply loved.
Funeral services and interment will be held privately.