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Barbara Katherine Prendergast Shannon, lovingly known as BK, Spunky, Blue-Eyed Monster, Nanny, and Sister, passed away at the age of 92 at her daughter Sarah’s home on September 23, 2025. A longtime resident of Douglaston, Barbara lived a life filled with love, laughter, and family. Barbara was born on July 4, 1933, in a thatched cottage in Ballintubber, Ireland, to parents Mary Flynn and Thomas Prendergast. Sharing a birthday with America’s Independence Day seemed a fitting sign that she was destined to make the United States her home. One of nine siblings—Tommy, Murt, Paddy, Sal, Phil, Ray, Della, and Carmel—Barbara was remembered by her brothers and sisters as feisty, funny, and stubborn. She developed her flair for fashion while working at Cahill’s, a boutique on Shop Street in Galway City, alongside her sister Della. At age 21, Barbara emigrated from Ireland to the United States with her best friend Nancy, intending to stay only a year. Fate had other plans. At the Crest Haven Country Club in New York, she met Gerard “Gerry” Shannon (deceased). During a ladies’ choice dance, Nancy spotted Gerry first, but Barbara quickly claimed, “No, that one’s mine.” And so he was. After five years, Gerry proposed to his “blue-eyed monster,” and together they built their family home in Bayside, where they raised three daughters: Katherine, Barbara Joan (BJ) (deceased), and Sarah. Soon after moving in, Barbara met Monsignor John Connelly, who welcomed her to the parish. Upon hearing her Irish brogue, he became an instant and lifelong friend until his passing in 2007. Barbara was known for keeping an immaculate home—so much so her daughters joked it looked like no one lived there. She never trusted anyone else to prepare the side dishes for Sunday dinners, where she served meals on her finest china and Waterford crystal, filling the house with family, Irish priests, and friends. Her potatoes were famous far and wide. As a mother, Barbara took great pride in her daughters. She was active in the Sacred Heart Mother’s Club and loved dressing her girls in lace and bows. Katherine remembers when a teacher once told her she was “aiming for the bottom of the class.” The very next day, Barbara marched in to insist—with her trademark conviction—that Katherine would soon be at the top. And, of course, she was right. Sarah remembers countless joyful trips walking the aisles of Marshalls and T.J. Maxx with her mom, hunting for the best bargains. Barbara also worked as secretary to the station manager at Aer Lingus, a position that opened the world to her family. Together they shopped flea markets in Morocco, got sunburnt in Barbados, saw the Queen in London, and sipped piña coladas in Mexico. They often returned to Ireland, spending time with family fishing on the River Shannon, pouring pints at The Neale, and making the pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick. Her daughter Sarah later followed her mother’s path, working at JFK Airport for American Airlines. When her daughters married, Barbara gained three beloved sons-in-law, each of whom she adored. Sarah’s husband Timmy was her go-to for every emergency: “Timmy, my house is on fire. Timmy, the basement is flooded. Timmy, my tires are flat.” BJ’s husband Michael became her travel partner, sharing laughter and drinks across Ireland, Bayside, and New Hampshire. Katherine’s husband Fernando lovingly dubbed her “Spunky.” Barbara never missed a chance to sing their praises—her “amazing” Timmy, her “wonderful” Fernando, and her “patient” Mike. Barbara became “Nanny” in 1993 and cherished her role as grandmother to eight grandchildren. She spoiled them with carefully wrapped Christmas presents, sleepovers, spa days, and shopping trips to Century 21. If folding and ironing were an Olympic sport her grandkids insist Nanny would have more gold medals than Michael Phelps. Even her sheets were freshly ironed. Her grandkids recall her always dressed to the tens, smelling of Chanel No. 5, with a silk scarf tied around her neck and a Tanqueray and tonic in hand. Her nails freshly manicured and fingers adorned with rings, and a “hello pet” to offer to whoever was with her. A woman of style and spirit, Barbara zipped around in her Mercedes, wrapped in cashmere, her soft champagne-colored hair catching the light. She was a true yogi, attending weekly classes at Brain and Body well into her 90s and even traveling to Sedona, Arizona, for yoga retreats. She enjoyed Mahjong with her dear friends Dolores, Betty, and Joan, and could always be found with a game of solitaire close at hand. Barbara is survived by her daughters Katherine and Sarah, her sons-in-law, and her cherished grandchildren. She leaves behind a legacy of resilience, faith, and fierce love. Her family remains deeply grateful for the brave and difficult choice she made as a young woman to leave Ireland and begin a new life in America, a decision that made all of our lives and memories with her possible. Visitation will be held at Weigand Brothers Funeral Home, 49 Hillside Avenue in Williston Park, on Friday, September 26, from 3 to 8 p.m. A funeral mass will take place at St. Aidan’s Church in Williston Park on Saturday, September 27, at 9:45 a.m.