Barbara Henston, 78, Was Landscape Painter, Golfer

Barbara Aibel Henston died March 14 in Livingston, N.J., after a long battle with lymphoma. She was a summertime resident of Vineyard Haven whose annual visits here kept her fighting her disease in order to have one more summer on the Vineyard. She was 78.

Barbara was a talented landscape painter, a winning golfer, a skilled bridge player and expert knitter who was always self-effacing about her multiple talents. Her landscapes were inspired by Vineyard scenes, particularly rustic beach houses and ocean views. Her work was the subject of a one-woman show at Seton Hall University, where as a woman in her forties, Barbara received her undergraduate degree with honors. Her academic career had begun at Connecticut College but was interrupted by marriage. In the ensuing years she raised three children: James H. Aibel, Jane Aibel Sadler and William A. Aibel.

Barbara was born in South Orange, N.J., and raised her family there. She was a Red Cross and Parent Teachers Association volunteer and a member of Mountain Ridge Country Club, where she won many tournaments; she was senior women's champion for multiple years. She won her final tournament in September 2004 just before undergoing her fifth round of chemotherapy. Her 15-year fight against lymphoma also included a 14-year long bout with leukemia. While on the Island she occasionally attended the cancer support group at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital, where her courage was an inspiration to other members.

Twenty-three years ago Barbara came to the Vineyard with her husband, Louis V. Henston, and every subsequent summer they opened their home to their six children and 12 grandchildren. Barbara's summer was not complete unless she had shepherded a group of children to the agricultural fair, the Flying Horses Carousel and to South Beach for boogey boarding.

She is survived and sorely missed by her husband, her three children, her two daughters in law, Beverly Savage and Sara Aibel, her two step-children and their spouses, Margo and Eric Brundage and Douglas and Melissa Henston, her brother, Harry Augenblick, and 12 grandchildren: Elizabeth, Benjamin, Matthew, Samuel, Jessye, Daniel, Michael, Erica, William, Molly, Jacob and Erin.