Marie M. Barch

1928 – 2017

East Longmeadow-Marie (Markert) Barch, longtime Smith Museum docent and the co-owner and co-founder of Compudata in West Springfield, died in East Longmeadow on January 21st. She was 88.  Mrs. Barch was born in Philadelphia on June 1, 1928 to Mae Brinkman of Ashland MA and Leo Markert of Johnstown, PA. Her family later moved to western Massachusetts where she graduated from Ludlow High School in 1946. She began work in the payroll department at Monsanto in Indian Orchard where she would later meet her future husband. Together they founded and owned Compudata, a data processing service bureau started in the 1960's. Mrs. Barch raised three children in Ludlow before moving to Springfield in 1975. She was actively involved in the PTA and volunteered at local schools throughout her life. She was a docent for many years at the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum on the Springfield Quad. She retired in 1999 and spent too many of her final years battling Alzheimer's disease. Mrs. Barch is survived by her daughter Karen Christopher and her husband Dale of Wilton, NY, her son Brian Barch of Ludlow and her daughter Christine Barch and her partner George Petropoulos of Granby. She leaves eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. She was pre- deceased by her son, Daniel B. Barch in 1952, husband Daniel J. Barch in 2016, her great granddaughter Ivy in 2014 and her daughter-in-law Pamela (Mulhern) Barch in 2010. Visiting hours will be Thursday, January 26 from 3 pm to 6 pm at the West Springfield Curran-Jones Funeral Home, 109 Main Street.  Interment will be private and at a later date.  For online condolences please visit curranjones.com.