Obituary of Barbara Cann Calista

Rev. Barbara Cann Calista, aged 71, died on August 20, 2026 at MaineHealth Waldo hospital. She was born in Saugus, Massachusetts on October 18, 1954. She was deeply loved and cherished by her family.

She grew up in Saugus, MA and graduated from Saugus High School in 1972. She completed her undergraduate degree at Gordon College in Wenham, MA and her Masters of Divinity at Boston University in Boston MA, earning some credits from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. She was ordained in the Southern New England Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1991 and was the pastor at 3 churches across her 24 years in ministry, including the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in North Reading, MA, 1989-1992; High Street United Methodist Church in Duxbury, MA, 1992-2004, and Moultonborough United Methodist Church in Moultonborough, NH 2005-2009; she was a loved and important part of other church communities throughout her life, including Community UMC in Byfield, MA, Saugus Center UMC in Saugus, MA, Old South UMC in Reading, MA, Rockport UMC in Rockport, MA, and others.

She was actively involved with service groups throughout her life, including the Southern New England Walk to Emmaus/Chrysalis and the Crossroads Emmaus/Chrysalis of New England, where she was instrumental in forming the new Chrysalis communities for youth. She served on numerous committees of the New England Conference of UMC churches as well as for the United Methodist Foundation. She served on many church mission trips in the US and abroad. She was part of a team that supports Family Harbor House, the homeless shelter for families located at Belfast UMC. She spent her last night there in service as a volunteer.

Her faith was her guiding light and strength. Her personal relationship with Jesus Christ sustained her through hard times and happy times and guided her decisions and beliefs.

She was an earnest, caring, thoughtful, principled, and selfless person. Her love for others was always felt by those around her. She was deeply appreciated for her loving support of countless church members and her own family members through loss and grief as well as joyous celebrations. She was a devoted minister, wife, daughter, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend. She enjoyed traveling and visited many states, including many national parks, and other countries in North America, South America, and Europe with family and friends.

She was known for her thoughtful homemade gifts and was a multi-talented crafter. She loved knitting, quilting, sewing clothes and other items, planning themed birthdays and trips, and many other artistic projects. She enjoyed jigsaw puzzles and word games. She loved doing home improvement projects as well and was often working on a DIY project or helping Joe with various home improvements. She was a lover of traditions and kept many traditions alive for her family.

She reconnected with Joe in 2017 after knowing each other from High Street UMC in Duxbury. They enjoyed exploring the state of Maine together and took many trips within the country, to Europe, and Mexico. They enjoyed 8 happy years of marriage as residents of mid-coast Maine until her passing.

She played piano and organ beautifully and was a skilled singer from a young age, continuing throughout her life to use her musical talents in church services as an organist, choir member, soloist, and by incorporating music in her sermons. She especially loved to sing with her husband Joe, including in community choral groups in Ipswitch, MA and Belfast, ME. She also inspired both her daughter and son to become musicians themselves.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph Calista, daughter Bethany Cann, her wife, Tegan Woods, grandchildren, Luke and Noel Castillo Cann and Lily Cosby of Philadelphia, PA, son David Cann and his fiancée Farin, and former son-in-law Hugo Castillo Zanatta of Philadelphia, PA.

She also leaves behind niece, Christy Zaidi and her husband Whitney, and grand nephews Christian Keeling and Levi Keeling of Ithaca, NY, two sisters-in-law, Mary (Cann) Vigasin of Tucson, AZ, and Debbie (Cann) Manning and her husband, David, of Revere, MA; nieces and nephews David Vigasin of Tucson, AZ, Jennifer (Vigasin) Bays, her son Andrew, and daughter Kylie of Tucson, AZ, James Willis, and son Liam, dear lifelong chosen family Rev. Ken and Barbara Underhill of Southampton, PA, and her beloved cat Buddy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward P. Sr. and Ethel A. (Richardson) Caffarella, brother Edward P. Jr. and his late wife Rosemary (Shelly) Caffarella of Ithaca, NY. Former husband of 38 years, Rev. James A. Cann, niece Melissa Manning of Revere, MA, and the brother of her sister-in-law, Richard Shelly of Waldwick, NJ.

Everyone who knew her knew that she loved butterflies. She connected to the symbolism of new life and transformation as well as their aesthetic beauty, and she owned countless butterfly themed jewelry, clothing, decor, and more. She also loved rainbows, with the symbolism of hope and a promise from God. We hope these symbols will be a reminder and a comfort to all those who loved her of the transformation, love, and hope she brought into so many lives.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside service at Riverside Cemetery (164 Winter St., Saugus, MA) on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 11:30 AM, followed by a gathering at a local restaurant. Everyone is also invited to a Celebration of Life Service and following reception at Belfast UMC (23 Mill Lane, Belfast, ME) on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at noon. We would greatly appreciate an RSVP for the Saugus service. RSVP and other messages and photos can be sent to: revbarbaramemories@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Belfast UMC (www.belfastumc.com) and Rancho del Rey (www.elranchodelrey.org), a home for at-risk boys in Santiago, Mexico, where she visited several times.

Memories and condolences may be shared with Barbara's family on her tribute wall.