Barbara K. Bayliss

Barbara Karbaum Bayliss died on Sunday, May 25, 2025 in Cambridge, MA, at the age of 96 from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Barbara is survived by her daughters Elizabeth (Simon Hambidge), Martha (Edward Gildea), and Sarah (Michael Sand); grandchildren Timothy and Peter Hambidge, Benjamin (Cameron) and Samuel Porter, and Oliver and Charlotte Sand; and great granddaughter Langford Porter. Her husband of 69 years, Malcolm Briggs Bayliss, died in 2022. Barbara is also survived by her nieces, Victoria Allport and Katharine Wagner, and nephews, Michael and Tony Allport. Barbara’s sister, Ardys Allport, predeceased her.

Barbara was born in Boston on January 4, 1929, to Victoria Babcock Karbaum (later Powers) and Paul Karbaum.

She spent much of her childhood in Cambridge, graduating from Cambridge High and Latin School, Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, and Radcliffe College. She later received a Masters’ degree in English Literature from Hunter College in New York City.

Barbara met Malcolm when he was an undergraduate at Harvard and Barbara was working at the circulation desk at Widener Library. They married in 1952 in Cambridge, and then moved to New York City, where they remained for more than 50 years.

Barbara and Malcolm bought a second home in Sheffield, MA in 1975. That became a cherished location for family gatherings with friends and neighbors for many decades. They lived in Sheffield full time from 2012 to 2018, when they returned to Cambridge, residing at Cadbury Commons, a senior living facility.

Barbara was an avid reader, conversationalist, gardener, and cook who enjoyed preparing meals for family and friends and loved spending time with her grandchildren. Following a severe hearing loss in 1979, she adapted with resilience to live a full life.

A Celebration of Life will be on September 20, 2025 to honor both Barbara and Malcolm, who died during the COVID pandemic. More details will be posted here when available. 

The family would like to thank Ferle Bramson and the staff at Cadbury Commons and Mindset Home Care for their care, advocacy, compassion, and good humor while working with Barbara over the past several years.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Rebecca Pomroy Foundation (https://pomroy.org).