Barbara S. Côté

Barbara S. Côté, lifelong resident of Lowell, MA, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, in Manassas, Virginia, on January 25, 2026, following several years of declining health. Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Henry A. and Anna (Hayes) Fink; her brother, Henry A. Fink, and his wife, Bernice (Florin) Fink; her grandson, Albert Mateo VanHaute; and her brothers- and sisters-in-law and their spouses, including Brother Augustin Côté, O.M.I.; Francis R. and Constance (Chandonet) Cote; George and Claire (Proulx) Cote; Major Paul Côté, USAF (Ret.), and his wife, Mary Jo (Winter) Côté; and Dolores (Cote) LaCourt Sasser. Following her graduation from Merrimack College, Barbara pursued graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Upon returning to Methuen, Massachusetts, she met her future husband, Albert V. Côté of Lowell, who was then serving as an Airman Second Class in the United States Air Force. They were married in November 1963 and together had three children: Monique Côté Melendez (Pedro) of Manassas, Virginia; Danielle VanHaute (Edward) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and a son who was stillborn. In recognition of her lifelong dedication to the Franco-American community, Barbara was honored in 2000 by the Franco-American Day Committee as Honorary Franco-American of the Year, an unprecedented distinction. Together with her husband, she co-owned the French-language monthly newspaper Le Journal de Lowell, founded in 1975 by Raymond J. Barette, for more than twenty years. She also played an integral role, alongside Jack and Mary Keefe, in producing the annual Franco-American Week variety shows for several years. An accomplished pianist, Barbara served as an organist at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and at the former Ste. Jeanne d’Arc Church in Lowell. In addition, she was frequently called upon as an accompanist for numerous community and parish variety shows, including productions for St. Michael Parish CYO and St. Patrick Parish. She had a deep love of history, a keen interest in the weather, and an encyclopedic knowledge of facts and trivia—earning her a legendary, unbeaten reputation at Trivial Pursuit. Because her first grandchild was unable to pronounce “Grandma” at an early age, Barbara became affectionately known as “Guppie” to her family. It was her great joy to pray for others and for their intentions, faithfully entrusting them to God and often invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Jude. She is lovingly remembered by her grandchildren and their spouses: Deanna and Navid Roshan of Vienna, Virginia; Yannick Melendez and his fiancée, Carlie Seay, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Madeleine and Jack Cooper of Wadsworth, Ohio; Catherine, Phillip, and Augustine VanHaute of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and by her great-granddaughter, Eliza Roshan. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Jean Cote, and his wife, Charlene (Corbeil) Cote, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. All will miss her dearly. Private services will be held at a later date.

Barbara S. Côté

June 21, 1938 - January 25, 2026