Legacy Magazine 2017-2018

M
Class of
1954
34
Barbara Bricker
“School musicals, Lessons and Carols, Founder’s
Day Mass – you name it, I’m there!” says Barbara
Bricker ’54. She is one of Marymount’s “Golden
Girls,” a group of alumnae from the 1950s and 60s
who regularly return to the School to attend events
and show their support for the community. “There
is an atmosphere of such warmth and caring at
Marymount,” says Barbara. “When the students and
staff see you coming in, they give you big hugs and you
know that you’re welcome there!”
After graduating from Marymount, Barbara
attended Gwynedd Mercy College in Pennsylvania
and embarked on a series of interesting careers.
Inspired by her work with the famous milliner
Mr. John, Barbara opened her own home decor
boutique on Madison Avenue. She went on to work in
the advertising department of the F. & M. Schaefer
Brewing Company, and then moved to the Ferguson
& Co. Insurance Company where she remained for
more than thirty years, serving as the company’s
Chief Financial Officer. In 2007, after several years
of retirement, family members recruited Barbara to
be the accounting manager at Dalva Brothers, an art
gallery on the Upper East Side with a focus on 18th
Century French furniture.
In the late 1990s, after reconnecting with the School
during an alumnae outing to the New York Botanical
Garden, Barbara became increasingly involved in
the Marymount community. She even served as a
chaperone on one of the Class X community service
retreats. “We experienced firsthand what it is like to be
homeless,” she says. “I slept in a sleeping bag on a pew.
I cannot believe I ever did that, but I did. It was an
eye-opening moment for all of us – truly an amazing
experience that I’ll never forget.”
Barbara’s desire to give back to the School is rooted
in her belief in Marymount’s core mission and values.
“It is such a unique thing – the warmth and joy and
love that you feel at Marymount and see in the faces
of the girls there,” Barbara says. “It is the reason that
alumnae keep coming back and send their daughters
to the School. And it’s why I think that girls graduating
from Marymount can do anything. Because when you
have that kind of loving environment around you, you
can go out and do great things.”