Terry (Teresa) Barber, principal of St. John School in El Cerrito for the past nine years, died at her Alameda home on Jan. 16 of pancreatic cancer.

Bill Walton, vice principal, praised his colleague for her ongoing dedication to curriculum development. She was always eager to try out new educational approaches, he said.

Despite her illness, which had been diagnosed in July 2009, Barber had worked four days a week until quite recently. “She spent a lot of nights here attending meetings and talking with parents,” Walton said.

Born in Macau, Terry Barber grew up in San Francisco. She graduated from Catholic grade and high schools there, then received her undergraduate degree from USF and a master’s in education from St. Mary’s College in Moraga. Before coming to St. John’s, she had served as principal of St. Paul School in San Pablo and as a teacher at St. Barnabas School in Alameda and the Chinese Parents’ School in San Francisco.

“We pray for her family, the community at St. John’s and all of her many colleagues and friends who loved her and were touched by the grace of her gentle strength and goodness,” said Holy Names Sister Barbara Bray, superintendent of diocesan schools.

She is survived by her husband, Dan, a son Johnny Barber, a daughter Tricia Pennella and son-in-law William Pennella, all of San Francisco; her mother, Patricia Carneiro, a sister, Linda Carneiro of San Francisco, and her brother and sister-in-law Peter and Gina Carneiro of Mill Valley.

A children’s Mass is scheduled for Jan. 28 at 9:30 a.m. in St. John the Baptist Church, followed by a reception in the school gym. A memorial Mass will be celebrated Jan. 30 at 1 p.m. at St. John’s with a reception in the gym. The interment will be private.

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