Barbara A. (Simonton) Lasher of Tolland, former principal of Westport’s Long Lots Elementary School, died July 15 at home. She was 77.
Barbara Lasher (c in purple) was honored by the Long Lots PTA in 2005 on her retirement. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Julia Mally for WestportNow.com
Lasher served 12 years at Long Lots before her retirement in 2005.
She was born July 15, 1939 in Queens, N.Y., the daughter of the late Herbert and Marguerite (Coulter) Simonton.
A dedicated and passionate educator, she taught in New York and Tolland before becoming a principal in Mansfield and then Westport.
In her retirement, she was an adjunct professor at UCONN, where she focused on further enhancing their student teacher program. She continued to work for the betterment of education in her retirement, serving on the Tolland Education Foundation.
She enjoyed traveling, being at the beach, and was an avid gardener. Her true passion was spending time with her family and friends.
She is survived by her daughter, Nancy (Lasher) Richmond and her husband Jon and their three children, Matthew, Corey, and Kalli, and her son, Todd Lasher, his wife Deborah and their three children, Emma, Devin, and Claire. Also by her brother and sister-in-law, Douglas and Patricia Simonton and their children, as well as her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Linda and John Canzoneri and their children, as well as several very close family friends.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 3 p.m. at the United Congregational Church of Tolland, 45 Tolland Green, Tolland. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gaylord Hospital Center for Brain Health, c/o Development Office, Gaylord Hospital, P.O. Box 400, Wallingford, CT 06492 or the Cure PSP, 30 East Padonia Rd., Suite 201, Timonium, MD 21093.
