Obituary of Barbara A. Kiley

Barbara Ann Kiley (Thorn), a longtime resident of Duxbury passed away peacefully on April 4, 2025 surrounded by her children and grandchildren.  She was 81.  Barbara moved to Duxbury in 1971 to raise her children in the small coastal town that she adored.  Duxbury was Barbara’s happy place, and over the years she threw herself into bettering the community.  Barbara was a dedicated civic volunteer and proudly served on the Friends of the Library, Duxbury Cultural Council, the 350th Anniversary Organizing Committee and as the Chair of both the town Finance Committee and the Historical Commission.

An avid traveller with a deep appreciation for the arts, Barbara’s insatiable curiosity led her to explore the great museums and historical sites of Europe,  South America and the Pacific, as well as many destinations all across the United States and Canada. Her journeys,  often with friends or family, enriched her life and expanded her deep love of different countries and cultures.

Above all, Barbara cherished time spent with family and friends. She was immensely proud of her four sons and even more so of her seven grandchildren. She was also a gracious and inventive hostess and loved having people to visit.  A dinner with “Barbs” was always a lively culinary event, filled with an abundance of stories and laughter.  As a host, she was always a proud adherent to the philosophy that accuracy should never get in the way of a good story. 

Barbara was born on April 20, 1943, in Buffalo, NY to William Edward and D. Barbara Murphy Kiley.  She attended high school in Greenfield, MA and graduated from the College of New Rochelle where her lifelong appreciation for the arts was first cultivated during visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. That love led her to found South Shore Magazine in 1987, a publication dedicated to raising the profile of arts and culture across the South Shore.

Barbara is survived by her son Philip H. Thorn Jr and his wife, Jennifer O. Thorn, and their children Kirsten and Liza Thorn of Duxbury; her son Christopher F. Thorn and his wife Jennifer S. Thorn, and their children William and Katie Thorn of Camden, ME; her son Nathan W. Thorn of Pembroke; her son Andrew E. Thorn his wife Jill Thorn, and their children Hannah, Henry and James Thorn of Dublin, Ireland; and by Philip H. Thorn Sr, of Florida.  Barbara was the oldest of seven siblings, and is survived by her brothers Robert and John Kiley, and her sisters Ellen Kaminski and Kathleen Kiley.  She was predeceased by her brothers Richard and William. 

Burial will be private, and a memorial service will be held in Duxbury over the summer.  In lieu of flowers and, with sincere thanks and appreciation for the love and companionship that her beloved rescue dog Beau brought to her later years in life, donations can be made to Town of Duxbury/Animal Shelter c/o Susan Curtis, P.O. Box 1071, Duxbury, MA 02332-1071.