HOHLER, Barbara (Abbott) A selfless caregiver, Barbara, 78, of West Roxbury, died June 7 at the Elizabeth Evarts de Rham Hospice in Cambridge after living her final 9 1/2 years with inspiring strength and grace as she coped with incurable ovarian cancer. She was a registered nurse who spent 33 years caring for women at the Lying-In Division of the Boston Hospital for Women and Brigham and Women's Hospital (the hospitals merged in 1980). Barbara served most of her career on a women's surgical unit, including 12 years as a nurse manager. She spent her final years as a nurse in the hospital's fertility clinic. She continued working until she was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 at the age of 69. But she never lost her passion for caregiving and found new ways to serve the sick and needy. Barbara was born Sept. 27, 1932 in Arlington to Tillman and Lois Abbott. She grew up near Central Square in Cambridge and graduated from Cambridge High and Latin School in 1951, the year she married Robert Hohler, of Boston, and started a family. They lived in Boston's South End and Back Bay until they moved with their three children to Coolidge Corner in Brookline in 1961. Barbara earned an associate's degree from Newton Junior College in 1967 and her certification as a registered nurse. She received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Northeastern in 1985. Her marriage ended in divorce in 1972 and she later shared a 20-year relationship with Richard Brown, of Savannah, N.Y. When cancer cut short her nursing career, Barbara stepped up her volunteer work, particularly with Friendship Works, caring for homebound seniors. She also volunteered at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and the German Centre for Extended Care. She participated in reading programs for schoolchildren in Boston and Dedham, transported patients to Boston hospitals, knitted for Brigham and Women's Caps for Kids program, and was an active supporter of public radio and television as well as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. She also supported the outreach programs of her church, Old South in Boston. She loved to travel and enjoyed many skiing, biking, and snorkeling trips into her late 70s with her family and friends from New England's Top of the Hill Gang. She traveled as far as Europe and Asia in her final years, but her favorite destinations involved visiting her family, especially on Mount Desert Island in Maine, where she indulged her love of lobster and the sea. Barbara was a faithful Red Sox fan and was particularly proud of a photo of herself with the late Sox general manager Lou Gorman in which she wears Gorman's 2004 World Series ring. She loved to play Scrabble and watch Survivor, taking pleasure in living long enough to see Boston Rob win the most recent edition. But nothing meant more to her than her family and friends, who adored her and will forever cherish the lessons they learned from her about living every day to the fullest, fighting terminal illness with an indomitable spirit, and dying with dignity and compassion. She is survived by her son, Bob Hohler of Quincy, her daughters, Cynthia Hohler of South Easton and Julie Boudreau of Canton; her stepson, Andrew Brown of Medford; her sisters, Jean Neilly of Shrewsbury, Susan Malatesta of York, Maine, and Wendy Harrington of Addison, Maine; her grandchildren, Lauren Kelton of Braintree, Tiffany Boudreau of Dedham, and David Boudreau of Canton; her great-grandson, Logan Kelton, of Braintree; 10 cousins, eight nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. A celebration of her life will be held Monday, June 13, at noon at Old South Church, 645 Boylston St., Boston. Donations in her memory may be made to Friendship Works, 105 Chauncy St., Boston, MA 02111; Facing Cancer Together, 430 Walnut St., Newtonville, MA 02460; and the charities supported by Old South Church, 645 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116.