Ingrid Johnsen Barrett, daughter of the late Niels and Millicent Johnsen of Rumson, died Aug. 8, 2023.
Her life was defined by her relationships with her family, her Lord and her community.
Whether riding a burrow down the Grand Canyon with her children, heli-skiing in Canada with her husband or sailing on the Shrewsbury River with her brother, she found joy in this space where her family, God and engagement with the world came together.
Ingrid proved herself to be an athlete from an early age when she won a field race wearing a fluffy blue dress while in grade school in New Jersey. At Mills College in California she was a member of the crew team and twice won gold in the national championships for women’s single sculls, setting a record for the 500-meter race that stood unbeaten for years. After college she ran almost daily for 50 years, entering many road races and four marathons, including the Boston Marathon. She and her husband played golf together regularly and she enjoyed skiing in Vail with her family for decades.
After marrying her husband Bill in 1971, they eventually settled in Dover, Massachusetts, where they raised their four children. Ingrid was most fulfilled when she had her whole family seated at the table to share a meal, despite the chaos that would inevitably ensue. Once she attempted to turn a chocolate fountain into a ketchup fountain for the amusement of her grandchildren. It failed, but hilarity followed. She was a loving and devoted mother, ferrying her children to activities and getting involved with their events and their studies. Once she and they played in the rain, stomping in puddles until they had soaked their clothing completely.
Ingrid was also devoted to her community and was a member of many town groups. She was a member of the Fox Hill Garden Club for 42 years. With the Garden Club of America she participated in cultural exchanges to Cuba and South Africa and served on the GCA’s scholarship committee.
Ingrid felt a strong calling to serve the Lord and she did this in myriad ways. She trained to become an EMT for the town of Dover, volunteered at the Women’s Lunch Place in Boston, wrote curriculum for the Dover Church Sunday School program, and eventually went on to earn her divinity degree so she could minister both to whole congregations as well as small groups.
She was widely traveled and visited over 50 countries, including Monaco with her husband for their 50th anniversary.
She is survived by her brother, Niels M. Johnsen of Colts Neck, her husband Bill Barrett, daughters Christina and Elizabeth, and sons Jonathan and Brooks. She was grandmother to eight grandchildren.
Honor Ingrid by reading her memoir “Reflections From A Clay Jar” available on Amazon, or send a check to Women’s Lunch Place, P.O. Box 170900, Boston, MA 02117.
This article originally appeared in the August 17 – 23, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
