Mrs. Barbara Gomes-Beach of Wareham, formerly of Boston, passed away peacefully, April 30 at home. She was surrounded by her four children and sister Isabelle Gomes-White. Barbara was the daughter of the late Julia Lopes-Gomes of Wareham and Roy Gomes of Waterbury, Connecitcut. She graduated from Wareham High School, Class of 1956 and received a bachelor of arts in political science from UMass Boston and earned her master's degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She is survived by her four children, Ralph B. Beach and his wife Candace S. Beach of Onset; Joyce F. Beach of Newton; Michael A. Beach and his wife Elisha Beach of Los Angeles, California; and Isabelle Sandra Beach-Jones and her husband Jeffrey K. Jones of Atlanta, Georgia; and her 14 grandchildren: Ralph B. Beach, Jr., of Boston, Barbara A. Beach of New York; Carlisle S. Beach; and Candyce M.Beach, both of Onset; Halle B. Hall of Newton; Roarke A. Beach; Tyler E. Beach; Alex Q. Beach; Quincey K. Beach; Ledgend Wilson; Jackson G. Beach; Nolan E. Beach; and Davis E. Beach, all of Los Angeles; Nicholas E. Jones; and Victoria A. Jones of Atlanta, Georgia; three great-grandchildren: Madison E. Beach; Jamayne P. Beach; and Brooke V. Beach, all of Boston; surviving sisters: Isabelle S. Gomes-White of Hayward, California; Janet Gomes of Wareham; Julie Gomes-Johnson of Alameda, California; Jacqueline Gomes-Galloway of Wareham; Geraldine Gomes of Atlanta, Georgia; Bonita Spinola of Carver; and brothers: Roy Gomes, Jr., of Waterbury Connecitcut; and Justin Gomes of Wareham; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends along with her beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Browne. Those who have passed before her are her beloved mother Julia Lopes-Gomes of Wareham; and beloved father Roy Gomes Sr., of Waterbury, Connecitcut; brother Barry J. Gomes of Dorchester; and sister Justine M. Pina of Easton.

Barbara was the founder and president of B.J. Enterprises, a marketing and public relations firm specializing in community development, consulting, business and conference planning, visual and graphic communications and market research. She held many positions in various organizations including the NAACP, The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, WEATOC, Ken Guscott Associates, The Roxbury Action Program, The National Association of Minority Contractors, James Jackson Putnam Children’s Center and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Onset. Barbara worked tirelessly for all women but had a special place in her heart for women who were single parents and experienced domestic violence. She was the commissioner on the Status of Women for the City of Boston as well as the director of various battered women’s shelters. She retired as the executive director from the Multicultural AIDS Coalition. After retirement, she was an associate professor of nonprofit management with DeVry University and an active member of the Dudley L. Brown VFW Post 2846 Women’s Auxiliary, Onset.

She accepted the Lord many years ago and was a member of Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at Morning Star Baptist Church, 1257 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan, MA 02126.

Donations may be made in Barbara’s name to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, or the Oak Grove Cape Verdean Cultural Center in Onset.