Katherine Barter

FREEPORT – Katherine Barter passed away on March 5, 2026, after a six-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born on Jan. 21, 1939, in Bath, Maine, where she lived most of her life before moving to Brunswick after retirement.

Katherine graduated from Morse High School in 1957 and had a few banking and accounting positions in Bath before she joined Bath Savings Institution as a teller in 1965. In the course of her 42 years at BSI, Katherine eventually advanced to the office of the comptroller where she served as an accountant until her retirement in 2007. Katherine was active for many years in the Maine Women Bankers’ Association, promoting gender equality in managerial banking positions.

Katherine was a lifelong active member of the Bath United Methodist Church, in which she volunteered as financial secretary for many years. Through the church and other organizations, Katherine showed untiring generosity of time and talent. She spent many hours staffing soup kitchens and food banks, was an active volunteer in the D.A.R.E. program for many years, volunteered for Equality Maine’s 2012 Marriage Equality campaign, and served as treasurer of the Bath High School Alumni Association.

Katherine was a longtime member of the Bath Area Senior Citizens Activity Center. She enjoyed traveling and went on every trip offered by the seniors. She enjoyed casinos, and one of the joys of her life was a bucket-list trip to Las Vegas after retirement. Katherine was an avid Internet gamer. She also had many travel adventures with her sister-in-law and best friend, the late Cindy Barter. Katherine was an animal lover who spoiled all of her own pets and those of family members. She gave generously to humane charities as well as many other worthy causes.

In her final years, Katherine was a resident at Hawthorne House in Freeport. Even with Alzheimer’s, Katherine could tell stories and display a sense of humor to all the staff and residents. Her quality of life until the very end was supported and enhanced by the wonderful staff at Hawthorne House, to whom her family will be forever grateful.

Katherine was predeceased by her parents, Reginald Barter and Louise (Oliver) Barter, and her three older siblings, William Barter, Reginald “Pete” Barter, and Roberta Savage. She is survived by her two nieces, Charlene Savage of Bath, and Judith Barter of Monmouth and by her nephews, Michael Barter of Peaks Island and his wife Ann, and William Barter of Brunswick and his husband Roy. She is survived by several grandnephews and grandnieces.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday April 18, 2026 at 11 a.m. at the David E. Desmond & Son Funeral Home, 638 High Street, Bath. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Bath.

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit http://www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers,

the family requests that donations be sent to:

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at http://www.alzfdn.org or by calling 1-866-232-8484.