IN MEMORIAM

Mildred Clark Barberio, 92;

SUNY Oneonta Administrator

ONEONTA – Mildred (Millie) Clark Barberio, 92, a SUNY Oneonta administrator for many years, passed away peacefully Aug. 10, 2016, at Chestnut Park Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center.

Millie was born on Nov. 3, 1923, in Utica, to Thomas and Lillian Berry Clark. After her mother died at a young age, Millie was raised by her beloved Aunt Margaret and Uncle Mike. She was a woman of deep faith and valued her lifetime commitment to the Catholic Church.

Millie earned a bachelor’s degree in education at SUNY Oneonta and a master’s degree from Syracuse University.

In 1950, Millie began teaching at West Winfield Elementary School, and soon after she started a career in higher education that spanned more than 30 years.

While teaching at SUNY Potsdam, she met the love of her life, Nicholas Barberio. They were married on Aug. 23, 1952. In 1959, Nick and Millie moved to Oneonta, where they raised their family and Millie soon became the director of clinical experiences, the student-teaching program, at SUNY Oneonta. During the 1980s, Millie served as president of the Confederated Organizations for Teacher Education in New York State.

When asked, Millie would quickly respond that she was most proud of her family. Her marriage to Nick was a real partnership, founded on an abiding love, an unfaltering sense of respect, and deep dedication to one another. As a mother, she was a fierce advocate for all four of her boys and, as a grandmother, a stalwart champion of the achievements of her five grandchildren.

As a friend, Millie formed bonds that lasted a lifetime. From her days in Potsdam in the 1950s as a young academic, to her years as a fun-loving retiree in Chandler, Ariz., and all of the years in between in Oneonta, Millie made friends and kept them. She was often the first to console a friend in a moment of need with a timely phone call or the delivery of a home cooked meal. She was also a lady of great wit who enjoyed the company of other people who knew how to tell and enjoy a joke and a good story. Her bridge group, which seldom actually played bridge, consisted of a group of ladies who reflected Millie’s love for a good time and even better company.

Millie retired from SUNY Oneonta in 1990. She found great joy in retirement, spending time with family and friends in Oneonta and in Chandler, AZ. She traveled extensively with Nick and friends throughout the U.S. and to Italy, Greece, Alaska, Russia, Turkey, and Canada. Millie was a fantastic cook. She learned how to cook many of the family’s favorite Italian dishes from Nick’s mother and through her many trips to Italy. Millie collected and shared her much-loved recipes with family and friends, many of which were privately published in a cookbook that became much sought after in Oneonta and beyond.

Millie is survived by her husband, Nicholas, and their four sons, Peter (Sherry) of Oneonta, Michael (Kirsten) of Scottsdale, Ariz., Stephen (Julie) of Apex, N.C.,

and Richard (Christine) of Oneonta. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Corey, Ryan, Kelsey, Marilena, and Eva. She was predeceased by her siblings, Esther Clark Welch, James (Jackie) Clark, and Frederick Clark.

A mass of Christian burial will be at 10:15 on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at St. Mary’s Church in Oneonta.  All are welcome to join Millie’s family at St. Mary’s Church for the service. Interment will follow in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Emmons. There will be no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Millie’s name to the College at Oneonta Foundation, 308 Netzer Administration Building, SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820. The contributions received on behalf of Millie will be allocated for scholarship support for students majoring in education.

Condolences to the family may be made online by visiting our website: www.grummonsfuneralhome.com

Arrangements are by the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home of Oneonta