Barbara M. Pick

September 1, 2025

Barbara M. Pick was born Barbara Ellen Lee Meola on January 18, 1935 to Ell and Tom Meola in Rocky Point, Long Island [she always told us she was born in Syracuse, NY]. She passed away peacefully in Tucson, Arizona on Labor Day September 1st attended by her daughter, Jennifer and brother John Meola.

We imagine her childhood was quite an adventure as she lived in Rocky Point Long Island, Destrehan Luisiana, London England, and Maplewood, New Jersey before the age of 15. She graduated from Maplewood-South Orange High School and went on the get her liberal arts degree at Keuka College in upstate New York where she met the love of her life, Pedro Pick, when friends set her up on a blind date.

Barbara and Pedro continued their international experience through the rest of their lives. They lived for many years in Caracas, Venezuela, Cambridge, MA and Milton, MA and Warren, VT and Prague, Czech Republic. In Venezuela they chose to bring up their family of four children: Dana, who now lives in Italy with her husband, Gaetano Lauretano, Peter living in Florida, Katherine (deceased) who made her home in Vermont with her husband Dan Perera and finally Jennifer who now resides in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to living overseas the couple travelled extensively and it gave Barbara a broad exposure to various cultures and habits around the globe.

While Barbara knew things were done differently around the world she very much stuck to her own way. It often was her way or the highway, but despite that self-assuredness she connected with everyone she met and forged lifelong friendships. Tragically, she lost her best friend, Pedro, in 2004 after he fought valiantly against an aggressive brain cancer. Naturally, this drastically altered her life and she eventually moved to Florida to be near her son, Peter, and his family. Despite this massive disruption to her life, Barbara powered on. She loved bridge and made many a friend across the bridge table in Vermont and Florida. Christmas and Thanksgiving were special times for Barbara and she insisted on a full Thanksgiving meal as well as a wonderful Christmas with a huge tree with all the trimmings. Attendance was mandatory if you were within 100 miles!

Besides being mourned by her children, her life will be cherished by: her grandchildren, Ashley and Thomas, Peter and Maria Estribi Pick’s daughter and son; as well as Wilder and Jaro, Dan and Katherine Perera’s sons; Natalie, Dana and Gaetano Lauretano’s daughter; her great granddaughter Isabella Crook (Ashley’s daughter), her son-in-law, Dan Perera; her nephew, Tom and his wife Kelly, her nieces, Vicki, Cheryl and Linda, her brother John Meola and his wife Kathi and finally Steve Prether, Jennifer's former husband.                                          Funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 27th at 10 am at Robert D. Gray Funeral Home, Skaneateles. Burial in Lake View Cemetery, Skaneateles. To leave condolences please visit www.robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.