Barbara Ann Shinault, age 85, passed away July 11, 2026. She was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1971, she and her family settled in Hendersonville, where she and her husband, Raymond, were among the early founding members of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. In 1979, Barbara was appointed as the first parish coordinator, a role she faithfully and joyfully served for three decades.
Barbara quickly became the trusted “go to” presence at Our Lady of the Lake. Her deep love for the liturgy, the Eucharist, and music ministry was engrained in the spiritual life of the parish. She lived out the Church’s call for lay leadership with compassion, energy, and devotion. Barbara poured herself into youth ministry, the parish’s Haiti outreach, and Room in the Inn, always seeking ways to serve those in need. During her tenure, she supported three pastors: Father Edward Arnold, Father John Henrick, and Monsignor William Bevington.
In retirement, Barbara cherished time with her family, stayed active at the Hendersonville YMCA, and continued her commitment to service through regularly volunteering at Room in the Inn at Holy Name Catholic Church in Nashville. A devoted supporter of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, she delighted in sharing the arts with her grandchildren, introducing them to theater, the music of Elvis Presley, and the beauty of nature during countless visits to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. She attended almost every football game, swim meet, band performance, and cheer competition, proudly cheering from the stands as her grandchildren’s biggest fan. Barbara also loved spending time with friends, especially Sr. Maria Edwards and a close-knit circle of widows affectionately known as the “Margarita Girls.”
She is preceded in death by her husband, James Raymond Shinault; father, Oliver Louis Cantin; mother, Beatrice Guertin Cantin; brother, Oliver Louis Cantin, Jr. Barbara is survived by her Sons, Christopher (Eryn) Shinault and Robert (Angela) Shinault; daughter, Reanne (Mark) Morrow; 5 grandchildren: Marlee (Jacob) Walker; Matt (Katrina) Shinault; Blake (Caitlyn) Alberts; Alaina Alberts (engaged to Hunter Hutton); and Alex Shinault. Great grand-daughter, Selah Walker, and a great-grandson on the way.
Funeral Mass will be conducted Wednesday, July 22nd, at 10:30am at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 1729 Stop Thirty Rd. Hendersonville, TN 37075. Interment will follow at Middle-TN State Veterans Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made in Barbara’s memory to the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Clinic (VMAC).
For more obituaries visit our obituaries page.
This obituary was published by Phillips-Robinson Funeral Home – Nashville Chapel.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
