Barbara Dennen

August 21, 1941 – December 31, 2025

Barbara Dennen, 84, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, passed away with her family by her side on December 31, 2025, at Rhode Island Hospital. Barbara was the daughter of the late John and Irene (Ayotte) Balbaton. She is survived by her husband, William Dennen; daughter Susan Dennen and her husband Paul Sullivan, of Mansfield, MA; daughter Karen Cabatingan and her husband Mark, of Cumberland; and son Bill Dennen and his wife Megan, also of Cumberland.

"Grammy" also leaves her six beloved grandchildren: Andrew (and his partner Elyse), David (and his wife Rainbow), and Molly (and her fiancé Liam) Cabatingan; Annie Sullivan; and Henry and Owen Dennen. Barbara is also survived by her brother, Richard Balbaton of North Attleboro, MA, her aunt Therese St. Hilaire of California, and by many other cherished in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews, and lifelong friends.

Barbara was born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she attended the Notre Dame Junior High School before graduating from Central Falls High School in 1960. She had great memories of time spent growing up with her friend Pauline, of dancing at Warner's Dance Hall and skating at Bobby's Rollaway, as well as taking summer trips to visit her many relatives in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Barbara began her working career in the money room at Ann & Hope, where she met her future husband, Bill Dennen. They married in 1965 and made their home in the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood of Cumberland, where they raised their family and continued to live for more than 60 years. In the 1970's, she and Bill started a successful small business making terrariums under the name "Terrariums by Barbara Ann." Barbara also spent time working alongside her neighbor and good friend, Margie Blanchette, at children's clothing manufacturer Health-Tex.

For over 50 years, Barbara and Bill hosted an annual July 4th cookout at their home, a tradition that brought family and friends together. Other favorite family memories included Christmas Eve celebrations; time spent on Great Island; family trips to Vieques, Puerto Rico; weekly pizza nights with grandchildren; and trips to Foxwoods with Bill.

Barbara was probably best known for her larger-than-life personality. She was able to make a friend anywhere she went. Deeply interested in people and always ready for a good chit-chat, she had a gift for making others feel comfortable and valued. She appreciated every visit and discussion. Even later in life, she stayed connected through her iPad, reaching friends and family near and far from her living room. No matter how far away you were, she was always right there with a funny tweet, a loving text, a comment on your Facebook post, or to watch your event, whether a concert, cross country race, or wedding, on FaceTime. She even made a dear friend in the UK in her Lexulous partner Donna.

Barbara was also a friend to animals. She cherished her assortment of pets, including good dogs Lucky, Mitzie, and the greyhounds; one not-so-good dog, Maggie; the cats; her talkative, potato chip-loving bird Howie; and her granddogs and grandcats. She loved her beautiful backyard gardens and flowers, and visits from her favorite birds — hummingbirds, bluebirds, and Baltimore orioles — brought her true joy.

Barbara was curious her entire life, and was interested in everything from history to pop culture. She loved trivia, and she knew a heck of a lot, so you'd definitely want to be on her team. She was a gamer at heart, and enjoyed everything from video games to Scrabble. Games involving drawing were not her favorite, but her pictures brought the most laughs and she was always a great sport. Over the years, she and Bill also enjoyed many Saturday nights playing cards with longtime friends Jerry & Joan and Bill & Irene.

A diehard New England sports fan, Barbara cheered and agonized over the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Providence College Friars. She also loved music, especially Elvis, and she appreciated a proper rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Barbara also enjoyed TV and movies. Her favorites were The Shawshank Redemption and anything with Tom Hanks. She once binged the whole series of Breaking Bad in one weekend so she could watch the finale in real time with everyone else.

Barbara was deeply grateful for the expert care she received from her medical providers, Dr. James Klinger; Crossandra Osgood, RN; Mary Whittenhall, NP; and the team at The Center for Advanced Lung Care; and Dr. Mridula Menon. Her family is also grateful for the wonderful care she received and the friendships she made with the RICU staff at Rhode Island Hospital.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to Visiting Hours on Sunday, January 11th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by a Funeral Service at 12:00 Noon.

The Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to The Assistance Fund , an organization that helped her secure the medications needed for her rare and life-altering diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. You can also remember her by planting a flower, feeding a bird, or striking up a conversation with someone new.