WATERTOWN — Barbara O. (O'Keefe) Goodson, 87, of Watertown and West Dennis, Mass., passed away peacefully in Watertown on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. She was the widow of James Edward Goodson.

Mrs. Goodson was born in Waterbury June 17, 1928, daughter of the late James and Sarah (Carolan) O'Keefe. She was raised in Waterbury and had lived in Watertown since in 1989.

She retired from SNET and was a communicant of St. John the Evangelist Church. She was active in the Waterbury Democratic Women's Booster Club, where she held several offices over the years and was also a member of the Telephone Pioneers.

Mrs. Goodson was a legislative representative for AARP, belonged to the Healthy Hearts, and was a member of the Aqua-cise group at the Naugatuck YMCA for many years. She enjoyed traveling a great deal and had been many places outside of the continental U.S., such as Alaska, the Panama Canal, Turkey, Greece and Ireland.

She enjoyed knitting and made many beautiful sweaters for her family. A loving and devoted wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She leaves two sons, James E. Goodson Jr. and John E. Goodson, both of Watertown; two daughters, Janet G. Dayton and her husband Lynn, of Watertown and Joan G. Rubbo and her husband Leonard, of Waterbury; a brother, William J. O'Keefe of Southbury; six grandchildren, Kerry Dayton Lewis and her husband Seth, Matthew Dayton and his wife Lynn, Colby Dayton and his fiancée Samantha Taylor, Justin Rubbo and his wife Cristina, Alexander Rubbo, and Jacqueline Goodson and her fiancé Gary Hayward; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her siblings, Edward O'Keefe, James O'Keefe, Eleanor Thorn and Mary Parker.

Funeral services will be held Monday morning, 10 a.m., at St. John the Evangelist Church, 574 Main St., Watertown. Family and friends are asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, East Main Street, Waterbury. Friends may call at the Hickcox Funeral Home, 195 Main St., Watertown, Sunday 5 to 7 p.m.

Mrs. Goodson's family would like to thank the staff of Apple Rehab in Watertown for their compassionate care.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, Connecticut Chapter, 35 Cold Spring Road, Suite 411, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.

For additional information or to leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.hickcoxfuneralhome.com.