Michael S. Barrett ’59 died on April 16, 2026, in Bradenton, Florida.
(The following was provided by the Hill and Skeffington Funeral Home on April 16, 2026:)
Michael Scanlan Barrett ’59
Michael Scanlan Barrett, M.D., 88, of Bradenton, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on April 16, 2026.
Michael was born in Bangor, Maine, on October 19, 1937, and from an early age, he embraced the value of hard work. His formative years were spent in Caribou, Maine, where he assisted his father in managing the family potato farm. He pursued higher education at Bowdoin College, earning a bachelor of arts degree, and completed his doctorate in medical studies at Tufts University School of Medicine. Michael began his surgical career as a resident at Rhode Island Hospital from 1964 to 1969 and then furthered his training at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, renowned for its excellence in heart and vascular surgery.
He returned to Rhode Island after his fellowship to establish a general and vascular surgery practice in Providence, where he cared for patients both in his office and as a surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Fatima Hospital, and Roger Williams Hospital.
Throughout his medical career, he had many accomplishments, serving as president of the Providence Medical Association and as a member of the Brown University adjunct faculty, and teaching premedical students and giving them early exposure to clinical medicine—often bringing them along on hospital rounds so they could observe patient care first-hand.
Across every hospital where he practiced, and among the many patients he served, Michael was deeply respected for his expertise and unwavering commitment to his patients. His humor, his stories, and his steady skill in the most demanding moments drew his patients and his team close to him and to the work he was called to do.
He was married to Beatrice (Bea) Iris Barrett for more than fifty years; they met in the surgical suite during his residency at Rhode Island Hospital. Together, he and Bea raised their three daughters in Barrington, Rhode Island, for much of his thirty-five-year medical career.
Michael lived a purposeful and active life, even in retirement. Each winter, he and Bea spent their days in Bradenton, Florida, where he remained deeply engaged in caregiving and continued to participate in weekly discussions on surgical advancements within the local medical community.
With his captain’s license, he was often out on the water—fishing, setting crab traps, and discovering new restaurants as he navigated the Narragansett and Tampa Bays. His steady hands, once essential in his professional life, found new expression in his many hobbies. He spent countless hours tinkering with boat repairs, experimenting with complex cooking recipes—never making the same dish twice—and crafting intricate pieces of puzzle art.
Throughout his life, he was a voracious reader, especially drawn to history, cookbooks, and magazines, always eager to learn something new.
The last eighteen months of Michael’s life brought him some of the greatest fulfillment, as he cherished every moment spent with his family and three grandchildren in North Carolina. His days were brightened by the steady presence of many devoted pet companions always by his side throughout his daily routines. What truly stands out as Michael’s enduring legacy is the way he approached life: he was constantly engaged in “doing,” finding joy and meaning in every endeavor, and embracing each day with an attitude that celebrated making the most of every moment.
Michael is survived by his three daughters, Leslie Barrett of Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicole Marcoccia and her husband, Paul Marcoccia, of North Carolina, Julie Andersen and her husband, Leif Andersen, of Wilton, Connecticut, and three grandchildren, Olivia Marcoccia, Nathan Marcoccia, and Caroline Marcoccia. Michael was predeceased by his loving wife, Beatrice Iris Barrett, in 2014. He was the brother to the late Mary Barrett and father-in-law to the late David Burkart, husband of Leslie Barrett.