Mercedes L. Barnet, age 84, passed on May 18, 2018 in Plymouth with loved ones around her. She was born in Havana, Cuba. Mercedes fled to the United States from Cuba during the Castro Revolution. She was the wife of the late Hugo Barnet. Mercedes and Hugo moved to Cape Cod in 1970. In 1981 they opened a business, Cash and Carry, in Hyannis which they sold 3 years later They were both very active in the Massachusetts Republican Party. Mercedes was a beloved member of the Latino community and after earning a degree in nursing she rose to the position of Assistant Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She championed numerous causes for the Latino community in Massachusetts . Mercedes pioneered many initiatives to improve the lives of so many that during her time she became a household name. She became a popular drive-time fixture on the local Spanish radio station always advocating for her community and improving the lives of countless people touched by her words and actions. As one of her nephews stated," My tia was a very loving and giving individual. She had many admirable qualities. Personally what I saw and experienced could be summed up in these few words: loving, initiative, action and results. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed." Titi was always the center of attention by the sheer force of her personality which was larger than life. She wore her heart on her sleeve and her generosity and largesse of spirit were unparalled. Her laughter was contagious and her feelings were always genuine, forthright and unrestrained. Seldom do people encounter someone with such force of whose memory remains with you for life. Upon retirement Mercedes moved to the Miami area where she lived until 2017 returning to the Cape to be closer to family members.
Mercedes is survived by her brother Jose A Maceo and his wife Josefina Maceo. Her sister-in-law Ines Lascaibar and her nephews Albert Lascaibar, Carlos Lascaibar and Antonio Maceo and niece Maricela Maceo-Pickens. She is also survived by great-nieces Kristine and Amanda Crosby, Santana Maceo, Alia Lascaibar and great-nephews Alexander Lascaibar, Adrian Lascaibar, David Watt, Antonio Maceo Jr and Marco Maceo.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St Thomas Aquinas Church in Jamaica Plain on Saturday, June 2 at 10 AM. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.