Barbara Rosa Caple

Barbara Rosa Caple, 95, of Littleton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2026.

Born on February 18, 1931, Barbara spent her entire life in Littleton, a town she loved and never had any desire to leave. She was predeceased by her husband of 47 years, Leroy Caple; her parents, Nicholas and Irene Pacy; and her sisters, Mary Johnston and Jean Cate. 

Barbara leaves behind her daughters, Charlene Steele and her husband, Michael, and Michele Gerhardt and her husband, Kirk; her grandchildren, Ryan Steele, Thomas Anderson, and Erica Gerhardt; and her great-grandchildren, Caden, Noah, and Mila. She is also survived by her nephews, Ricky Johnston and Nicholas Cate, and many great- and great-great-nieces and nephews. 

She grew up in Littleton and, as a young woman in the late 1940s, attended the Fay Secretarial School in Boston.

If you knew Barbara, chances are you ate something she made. There was rarely a time when she didn't have something cooking or baking. Her lasagnas, soups, cookies, and pies were family favorites, and she made sure there was always enough for everyone. Nobody left her house hungry, and almost nobody left without a Tupperware container of something to take home. The family is fairly certain there are dozens of those containers out there that never made their way back to her kitchen.

She had a special place in her heart for children. Well into their 80s, she and her sister Mary were still looking after their great-great-nieces and nephews, and Barbara was never happier than when she had little ones around. 

She kept her home spotless and ready for company. She enjoyed her Sudoku puzzles, a good game with her cousins, and the familiar routines of a life spent in the town she called home for 95 years. Her family will miss her home cooking, her phone calls, and the desk in her kitchen covered in notes, where she kept her days running on a schedule nobody dared interrupt. Most of all, they'll miss the way she loved them all unconditionally.

Family and friends are invited to calling hours on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Badger Funeral Homes, Inc., 347 King Street, Littleton, Massachusetts. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home, with burial at Westlawn Cemetery, 7 New Estate Road, Littleton, Massachusetts.

Arrangements are under the care of the Badger Funeral Home, A Life Celebration Home, 347 King St., Littleton, MA 01460. 978-486-3709 www.badgerfuneral.com