Civic leader Barbara Joan Cooley Wareck passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 9, 2025 enveloped in the love of her family. She was 93 years old and survived by her three children, six grandchildren, two stepchildren, many beloved nieces, cousins, and a veritable village of extended family that she did not differentiate from blood.
Barbara was born in New Haven to Esther (nee Ziering) and Jacob J. Cooley on October 14, 1931. Her father JJ was the owner of Cooley Chevrolet and was involved in many charitable endeavors. She grew up in the Beaver Hills neighborhood and attended the Prospect Hill School. She graduated in 1953 from Wellesley College, where she forged deep friendships that lasted for over 75 years. She later worked in public relations in New York City for Time magazine and then Air France, which allowed her to travel the world. That inspired a lifelong love of travel, which continued well into her late 80s. She particularly loved France and was blessed to spend her 75th birthday there with her family.
It was during her time in New York where she met Stephen A Wareck. They married in 1960 and returned to New Haven to raise a family. In the early ’70s she began a 40-year period as a dedicated volunteer. She helped establish the after-school program at Worthington Hooker School and chaired the PTA there for many years. Additionally she chaired the School Volunteers for New Haven for over eight years. Her focus, she would frequently say, was geared towards supporting the community at their most basic level through education and community building. This was also reflected in her work with New Haven Sister Cities, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the Urban League and the Board of Directors for Congregation Mishkan Israel and the Hospital of Saint Raphael. She also served as a volunteer and on boards of many other organizations including the Shubert Performing Arts Center, the Wellesley College Club of New Haven, and the League of Women Voters. She helped establish the Fortunoff Video Archives for Holocaust Testimony at Yale University. In the 1980s she went back to work for United Illuminating, coordinating their community relations.
She seemingly never slept and always had a long to-do list. However, she always had time for her extended family, even if it meant a late-night phone call. Loved ones were her bedrock belief and core value. Barbara often said, “Every day is Mother’s Day,” because of the love she felt from her children and grandchildren.
She was completely lucid and in full possession of her memory until her final day. She reflected on how fortunate she had been in life. She had two love-filled marriages, to Stephen Wareck (1960 – 1992) and Charles “Chick” Perrow (2001 to 2019), and was widowed in both instances. Some of her last thoughts and words reflected her love of her community and to those she was close with: “I have had a fortunate and great life and am so grateful for everything.” The many who knew and loved her feel even more grateful for her gift of life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wareck Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. A memorial is planned for September.