Remembering Sister Barbara Ann Barbato

Sister Barbara Ann Barbato, a long-time faculty and staff member at Webster University who was often cited as a “favorite” from students and alumni, died peacefully Wednesday in St. Louis from pancreatic cancer. She was 92.

Barbato was a member of the Sisters of Loretto (formerly Sister Mary Bernard) for 72 years and was frequently referred to as “Sister Barbara Ann” by students, faculty and staff. She was born Feb. 4, 1932, in Denver to Jenna Mae (Julian) and Lewis Barbato. She was received into the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross on Dec. 8, 1952. 

Barbato earned a bachelor’s in history in 1952 at Loretto Heights College, Denver; a doctorate in European history in 1964 at St. Louis University; and a master’s in management in 1981 at Webster University. An honorary doctoral degree was conferred on her by Webster University in 2015 as part of Webster's Centennial Celebration.

She first taught 4th grade students at St. Ann’s Parish Grade School, Normandy, 1955-1956. In Webster Groves, she taught students typing, history and English at Nerinx Hall High School, 1958-1961. Elsewhere, she taught at Bishop Toolen High School in Mobile, Ala., 1956-1958, and Loretto Academy in Kansas City, Mo., 1967-1969.

In 1963, she joined the faculty at Webster University. She taught courses in history and international relations, in teacher-preparation, in social sciences and in business management. She taught at Webster’s main campus, at it’s Geneva location and on the NATO Base in Iceland when Webster had a location there. She earned the title Professor Emeritus after her retirement but was frequently seen on campus up until recently.

Among her many university roles, Barbato served as an education administrator and as coordinator, mentor and adviser for the graduate program in international studies. She was a pioneer in education in the 1960s and 1970s, designing “non-traditional” learning experiences for students. One of her projects had students deciding their own content for 15 hours of credit. While she and her co-faculty members only ran the project for one semester, it resulted in Barbato becoming the director of the Center for Individualized Studies.  She was also a pioneer in assessing students’ prior learning. Barbato directed Webster’s Center for Individualized Studies from 1972 – 1979 and many alumni today credit this program for their success in college and post-graduation.  

Achieving certification after retirement, Barbato regularly served as a first responder and dispatcher for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and on an as-needed basis with Disaster Service Human Relations in Mass Care sheltering and feeding from 2003-2012. She was active on several trustee/director boards and committees, including Nerinx Hall High School and The Sarah Community, Bridgeton. Within her congregation, she was a trustee of the Charitable Trust Fund, had served on the Investment Committee and did communications work in St. Louis. She was a longtime Shrewsbury resident and member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, where she served as a Eucharistic minister at most weekday masses. 

Her passion for working for the community and standing up for the issues she was passionate about started long before her retirement from teaching. She protested at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago; organized workshops on civil rights in the 1970s; and was involved with Vietnam teach-ins in St. Louis. 

Barbato said she knew from the time she was in 2nd grade that she was going to be a nun. Reflecting on her many years, she said, “Loretto has been a wondrous experience. I really learned from people who took time to teach me. They taught me in such a wonderful way. I was very fortunate and always felt like a spoiled child of God.” 

Preceding her in death were her parents and her brother, Lewis Barbato Jr. She is survived by her sister, Mary Catherine Johnson of Denver, her dear friend and roommate Webster University Professor Annie Stevens, and many nieces and nephews. A memorial Mass will be celebrated for Sr. Barbara Ann at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Nerinx Hall High School, 530 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Sisters of Loretto for our mission, c/o Loretto Motherhouse, 515 Nerinx Road, Nerinx, KY 40049 or as an online gift at www.lorettocommunity.org.