Barbara McDonald

Cohoes, NY Barbara Marra McDonald, 90, a lifelong Cohoes resident, was born to Agnes Breclin and James Vincenzo Marra on December 6th, 1935. She was married to her longtime friend and companion John T McDonald Jr for 65 years. She is survived by six sons, John III, (Renee), James, (Gail), Joseph, (Judy), Jeremy, Jason, and Justin. She is also survived by twelve grandchildren - Sean, Tara, Riley, Emma, Liam, Sophia, Noah, Sarah, Christopher, Carson, Kieran, and Jacqueline and her sister Marcia Marra. She was predeceased by her daughter, Amanda. Barbara truly treasured her children and grandchildren. We are all blessed by her guiding hand and wisdom, often shared through anecdotes and stories rather than dictation and direction. Although she was an only child for eleven plus years, in 1947, Barbara’s life was changed forever with the arrival of her baby Sister-Marcia Marra. Marcia was Barbara’s best friend throughout her life and always gave Barbara a laugh when life became a bit heavy. At an early age of five years old, Barbara started her “career” as a greeter at Marras Pharmacy. At this young age she started greeting people like she would for the rest of her life, with a disarming statement: “Hey, how are you?” Her disarming smile and warm nature was one of her keys to being a top-notch care giver and trusted friend. This tender age as a greeter started Barbara on a lifelong mission to make her beloved Community of Cohoes a better place as well. Through her actions as a volunteer and civic leader, Barbara brought great energy, thought and passion to several initiatives for our city and one could easily understand Barbara’s role as cheerleader for the city of Cohoes. Barbara proudly attended Van Schaick Island grade school, Cohoes High School, and the School of Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut. She was proud of her Italian heritage and loved her friends she had grown up with at Van Schaick Island grade school, Cohoes High School and UConn and maintained friendships with many for decades. Upon graduating from UConn in 1958, she immediately started working on a full-time basis at Marra’s Pharmacy following in her father’s footsteps. Upon the death of her father in 1971 she took over the management of the pharmacy until her retirement in 2014. Since working at the pharmacy Barbara had one goal - to serve the needs of her community in whatever way she could. She was pleased to have the pharmacy as a vehicle to let this goal happen. Barbara’s philosophy is that one receives what one gives to the community and she feels extremely fortunate that the community has been good to her and her family and vice versa. For over 60 years, Barbara’s generous spirit and compassion helped many of our friends and neighbors with their various ailments and challenges. Barbara’s fun and “can do” nature made Marras more than a pharmacy, but a place where people gathered to laugh, love and enjoy life. The engine of Barbara’s philanthropy and love of community was her home away from home, Marra’s Pharmacy. When Barbara would yell in the morning (usually in a rush), "Goodbye, I’m going downtown,” her husband John and the boys knew there was only one place she was going: 217 Remsen Street, better known as Marras Pharmacy. It was here at Marras where Barbara did her best work. Although she was known as an affable outgoing person, she held the strictest confidence with her clients and could be trusted to offer a guiding hand for those suffering either physically, emotionally, or mentally. There are countless stories of Barbara’s generosity of both spirit and wallet in helping those in their time of need. This is her legacy: Doing good for others through actions, not just words. Barbara had a love of her country, her family, her God, and with uncommon grace and zeal-her love of the City of Cohoes. Barbara has been involved in many community groups through the years such as the Cub Scouts, Cohoes Catholic Consolidated Schools, The Cohoes Community Center, Parish Council of St Bernard’s Church, The Beautification Committee of The City of Cohoes, The Character Counts Committee, and The Cohoes Chamber of Commerce and The Cohoes High Alumni. There are a host of other professional organizations that Barbara has been involved in which are too numerous to mention. Overall, Barbara was one who liked to get involved, and that she did. Barbara loved a party too and no better example was the Cohoes Community Center (CCC) Fashion Show which she led for decades. The intent was to raise money for the CCC, which it did but let’s face it - Barbara loved to get together with friends, make new friends, have a wonderful experience, and create memories. This was a perpetual theme of Barbara time after time after time. She was President of the Cohoes High School Alumni, and with her friends from high school activated the fellow alumni to create scholarship awards to be presented to the graduating students from the high school on a yearly basis. Barbara was proud to receive the Woman of Excellence Award from the Albany Chamber of Commerce in 2009. Barbara was an avid Bridge player with her husband John. They were Members of the ACBl and Life Masters. She was always happy playing bridge with the wonderful people she met at games and tournaments throughout the Capital Region and beyond. She called Bridge her addiction. The family appreciates all the support of the community who constantly inquired about her status, especially the last four years as she was in the capable and caring hands of the dedicated staff first at the Marjorie Doyle Rockwell Center then the Eddy Village Green and The Community Hospice until her passing. Barbara had a simple saying that she posted in her home and business that she shared openly with all - “I expect to pass through this life but once. If there is any kindness I can show, or any good that I can do, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.” Through her actions, not just words, Barbara lived this saying through the days of her life, which truly was a life well lived. Family and Friends are invited to attend visitation hours on Wednesday, July 29th from 9:00am-12:00pm at the Holy Trinity Church in Cohoes, NY. Funeral Services will follow at 12:00pm from the Church. Internment will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Waterford. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the following organizations in Barbara’s honor - Alzheimer’s Association of Northeast NY (www.alz.org/northeasternny.org), Life Path, the Cohoes Senior Center (www.lifepathny.org/donate) or Capital Roots (www.capitalroots.org).

Barbara McDonald

December 6, 1935 - July 24, 2026