Barbara Ellen Branchina

LAKEVILLE — Barbara Ellen Branchina passed away on May 31, 2025, in her home in Kennebunk, Maine, after a long illness.

Barbara was born on March 26, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, to Fred and Ruth Helfst. She later attended Warwick (New York) High School where she met Nick, the love of her life. They were married June 26, 1968. Barb received her B.A. in Education from SUNY, New Paltz.

They later moved to Lakeville where they lived and raised their children for 35 years. Barb was a homemaker for several years, then received her M.S. in Education from Central Connecticut State University. She was an elementary school teacher at Salisbury Central School for many years. Upon retirement, they moved to Kennebunk to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Barbara was a loving mother, grandmother and wife. She had many passions, including interior decorating, literature and mysteries, history, gardening, cooking and baking, and crafting. She was an active member in the Congregational Church in Salisbury, Connecticut, and later at South Congregational Church in Kennebunkport. She and her husband made many friends in Maine and were active members of the Kennebunk Newcomers Club.

Barb is survived by her husband of 57 years, Nick, her daughter, Carly McKinney and her husband John, her son, Nicholas, and four grandchildren, John, Molly, Nicholas and Benjamin, all of Kennebunk, as well as her brother Fredrick Helfst and his family of Glen Rock, New Jersey.

A private family service will be held later in the summer in Kennebunk. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, Scarborough.