Diana F. Barrie, 78

NORTH SANDWICH — Diana F. (Gotshall) Barrie, 78, a longtime resident of North Sandwich, NH, passed away at Wolfeboro Bay Nursing Home on September 18, 2020. Diana was born on October 8, 1941 in Laconia, NH. She was the daughter of the late Bertha and Abbott Gotshall Sr.

Diana grew up in Sandwich Lower Corner and was a graduate of Quimby School, Center Sandwich, NH. She graduated from Secretarial School and worked for the Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, Connecticut, for several years. After marrying James Barrie, she and Jim lived in Hudson, NH, for a few years before moving to North Sandwich. Together with her husband, Jim, they ran White Mountain Kennels. Diana also bred, raised and trained Rhodesian Ridgebacks for the last 35 years. In 1984, she helped to establish the New England Rhodesian Ridgeback Club and was recently awarded a lifetime honorary membership for her years of dedication to the club. Diana was also a member in good standing of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the U.S. and the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Canada.

The love of this beautiful breed sent her traveling to all corners of the U.S. each year to attend the week-long annual Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of the United States National Specialty show where some of her Ridgebacks attained the highest awards. She also frequented many shows in Eastern Canada each year and on one special occasion in March 2006, she traveled with a few of her closest Ridgeback friends to England to watch one of her puppies show at Crufts, the biggest dog show in the world!

Although many of the Ridgebacks she bred went on to become champion show dogs attaining multiple titles in conformation, luring coursing, obedience, agility, herding and rally, she placed numerous other puppies into loving pet homes and established long lasting friendships with so very many families because of that. Blessed with the gift of gab, she could talk about dogs and pedigrees for hours on end and was a wealth of knowledge when it came to raising, training and caring for her beloved Ridgebacks.

Diana also made sterling silver jewelry for Silver Craft Studio, a business started by her grandfather, T.D. Gotshall.

She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, James M. Barrie, in 2014 and her sister, Mary Anne Gotshall in 2002.

She will be missed by her brother and sister-in-law, Abbott Jr. and Dianne Gotshall of Pelham, NH; her nephews, Christopher Gotshall, David Gotshall and his wife, Robin; and grandnephews, Hunter, Jackson, and Boden Gotshall.

Burial will be private at Little Pond Cemetery, Sandwich NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in her memory to Compassus Hospice, 1 Hampton Road, Suite 210, Exeter, NH 03833.

Mayhew Funeral Homes and Crematorium, in Meredith and Plymouth, are assisting the family with their arrangements. www.mayhewfuneralhoems.com