Stock, Barbara F. formerly of Needham, MA, died peacefully on Saturday, February 21, 2026, age 94. Barbara was born in Minneapolis, MN on January 24, 1932, the daughter of the late Harold B. and Ruth McNicol Finch, originally from Grand Forks, ND.

Barbara graduated summa cum laude from Northrop Collegiate School in 1949 and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College in 1953. Barbara married Arthur J. Stock on August 26, 1953 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, MN and then moved to New Haven, CT where Arthur completed his B.A. and ROTC training and Barbara received an M.A. in English, both from Yale University. After their graduations, she traveled with Arthur to army bases in the United States and Munich, Germany where their first child, James H. Stock of Lincoln, MA, was born in 1955. They returned to New Haven while Arthur attended Yale Law School.  In 1958, they welcomed a daughter, Catherine Stock Lefeber of Branford CT.

In 1960, Barbara and Arthur moved their young family to Minneapolis and beginning in the fall of 1963, Barbara taught English at her alma mater, Northrop Collegiate School. In 1971, she became Northrop's Principal (headmistress), the last ever to serve the school. From 1971-1974, Barbara guided the all-girls Northrop School through the complex process of merging with the all-boys Blake School. While she fully embraced coeducation, she nevertheless vowed to safeguard Northrop's culture of support for girls, commitment to academic excellence, and its historic building on Kenwood Parkway. In 1974 Barbara was named Head of the Upper School of the Blake School, a position only one other woman in the United States held at an independent co-educational secondary school. Two years later she became Vice President and then interim President of Blake School. Through this time, her quick wit, record of excellence as a teacher, and respect for varied perspectives helped all members of the school community adjust to the change and create a warm and productive learning environment. In later years, former faculty and students would attest that "Mrs. Stock" was the first woman leader they had ever known and that she shaped their idea of what a woman could accomplish.

In 1984, Barbara took a new position at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and move with Arthur to Boston, MA. She rose to the level of Executive Vice President at NAIS and worked in both the Boston and Washington, D.C. offices until 1996. Not quite ready to retire, Barbara subsequently served as interim head of the upper school at Breck School (Minneapolis, MN) and in a variety of administrative positions, including nine years on the Board of Trustees, at the Dana Hall School (Wellesley, MA). In 2011 Barbara and Arthur moved to the North Hill Retirement Community in Needham, MA where they became active in community governance and made many friends among residents and staff.  They also remained leaders of the congregation at the Wellesley Village Church as they had been at Westminster Presbyterian Church and Old South Church in Boston.

Along with being "the best mother-in-law in the universe," Barbara's greatest act was to cherish, guide, and inspire her five grandchildren. Each carries with them not only her wise and discreet counsel, but also her intelligence, stamina, and enthusiasm for life. Whether it is through her gift for teaching, public speaking, and leading an organization; her love of music, books, sports, flowers, forests, and all things winter; her life-long loyalty to her college and theirs; or the courage she mustered to meet personal and professional challenges undaunted, each grandchild will carry Barbara forward well beyond the precious years they shared.

Barbara is survived by her children, James H. Stock (Anne Doyle) and Catherine Stock Lefeber (Peter); her grandchildren, Peter McNicol Lefeber (Katherine) of Wellesley, MA, Sarah Lefeber Hempleman (Carter) of Hingham, MA, Christopher Hopkins Stock of Somerville, MA, John Finch Lefeber (Adrienne) of Danvers, MA, and Corey Doyle Stock of Chicago, IL; and her great grandchildren, Peter John Lefeber, Adelyn Finch Hempleman, Emily Grace Lefeber, Isabel McNicol Hempleman, Charlotte Elizabeth Lefeber, Zeke Graham Hempleman, and Casey Josephine Lefeber.  She is also survived by her niece and nephews, Mark Finch (Excelsior, MN), James Finch (formerly of Basalt, CO), Sarah Finch Goullaud (Maple Plain, MN), and David Finch (Afton, MN.) She was predeceased by her husband Arthur J. Stock, her brother Harold B. Finch, Jr., three favorite cousins from Pierre, SD: Jim, Bill, and Rex Robbins, niece Martha Finch (Wayzata, MN), and dear friends Frances "Bitsie" Clark (New Haven, CT), Patricia Baker (Minneapolis, MN) and Molly Mott (Needham, MA).

A service of remembrance will be held at Wellesley Village Church in Wellesley MA on Saturday, May 9, at 3 pm. The service will also be live streamed on the church's website.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vassar College, Wellesley Village Church, or Westminster Church in Minneapolis, MN. The family will never forget the loving care our mother received from doctors, nurses, companions, and other staff at Atrius Health, North Hill, and the Carriage House of Wayland in the final years of her long and remarkable life.