Mary Alyce Gasbarro, 80 years old, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026, at her family home of 50 years in Barrington, RI. She was born on January 13, 1946, to Helen and John McNamara and raised in North Providence, RI. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Pasco Gasbarro Jr., and her sons Pasco III and his wife Merida of Queens, NY; John and his wife Anne and their children Aidan, Hayley, Ainsley, Keagan, and Shelby of Barrington, RI; and Christopher and his wife Marianne and their children Sean and Ryan of Newburyport, MA. She is also survived by her brother Paul McNamara and his wife Sandy. She was predeceased by her siblings, Gayle Monnett and John McNamara.

She was a loving wife and mother, and an adoring grandmother, who particularly enjoyed in recent years spending time with her grandchildren as they grew into adulthood. She was primarily a compassionate, caring and social being with a generous heart, sense of humor, and never at a loss for words, or advice and opinions when appropriate. She had an amazing memory and was an engaging storyteller. Over her lifetime she made, valued and maintained many lifelong friendships. She was pure and straightforward “what you see, in what you get” person, never any pretenses or hidden agendas or self-importance.

Over the past 50 years, Mary Alyce selflessly gave her time, energy, and leadership in community life. She believed deeply in the responsibility of citizens to actively help shape the places they live and love. She did not simply belong to organizations, she strengthened them: led when leadership was needed, volunteered when hands were needed, actively encouraged others to become engaged, and frequently without hesitation forcefully spoke her mind when something simply needed to be said. She brought an enthusiasm and a sense of purpose to contribute and make her community better.

Mary Alyce was active member of many organizations. She was lifelong member of the League of Women Voters, and worked tirelessly to register voters and educate citizens about local and national ballot initiatives. She served as President of the Barrington League of Women Voters, and later as President of the Rhode Island League of Women Voters. She was active in the Barrington politics, served for several years as Chair of the Barrington Democratic Party, and was a member of the Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs. In the early 1990s, she was an active member of the historic RIGHT NOW Coalition, which successfully lengthened the term of statewide officers, strengthened ethics and campaign finance laws, and created a new system for judicial selection. She strongly supported Common Cause Rhode Island. She proudly served as a Rhode Island elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2012. Mary Alyce was respected by many RI business, political, and civic leaders, and had an encyclopedic knowledge of Rhode Island history and political lore.

Her legacy is strongest in Barrington. She served on the Barrington Town Council (1996 - 2000), acting as Council Vice President (1996 - 1998) and as Council President (1998) and twice ran to represent Barrington in the RI General Assembly. She was Chairwoman of the Barrington Prevention Connection and Substance Abuse Task Force; President of the Board of Directors of the Barrington Community School; and served on the board of the Community Scholarship Fund of Barrington. She actively supported the Barrington Land Trust, the Osamequin Women’s Club, the Barrington Junior Women’s Club, The PLACE youth center, and TAP-IN as a volunteer driver.

Mary Alyce was educated in Providence at St. Mary’s Academy of the Visitation and the Katharine Gibbs School. For many years, she volunteered for school organizations and PTA boards in the Barrington (including as President of the Barrington High School Association), where her 3 children and 5 of her grandchildren attended school.

Calling hours will be held at Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith St, North Providence, on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside burial service at 10 A.M. at Maria del Campo Cemetery, corner of Barrington Ave. & Upland Way Barrington, RI on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The family would like to thank Hope Hospice for their care of Mary Alyce over the past few weeks.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Mary Alyce’s memory to the Mary Alyce Gasbarro Scholarship Fund at the Community Scholarship Fund of Barrington, PO Box 300, Barrington, RI 02806. https://csfofbarrington.com/dontate.