Rye Lifer: Barbie Haynes
Rye Lifers is a MyRye.com series that introduces you to people that have spent their lives in Rye – people who have grown up in Rye, worked in Rye, come back to raise their family in Rye. Do you know someone we should profile for Rye Lifers? Tell us.
Today, meet Barbie Haynes.
MyRye.com: Why are you a Rye “Lifer”?
Haynes: I really did not get far in my life as a “Rye Lifer” indicates!! As adventurous as I am, my life began one block from where I live today. I grew up in Indian Village on 26 Onondaga Street and live on 27 Oneida Street, where I raised my three children and live today.
My Rye roots began with my mom and dad. My dad purchased 26 Onondaga, when my mom was in the hospital having me… Big Surprise!!! Mom & Dad had grown up in Larchmont, both swimmers and competed at Orienta Beach Club.
Mom graduated from Mamaroneck High School… so not surprising, as soon as my brothers and I had teeth, we were introduced to Walter’s Hot Dogs. I have carried on the tradition with my children and grandchildren….to this day!! A visit to Walter’s, at least once a month, is a must!
My husband, who was from Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, and I met in Rye, when he was living with one of his cousins, a Rye native. We dated, married and “honeymooned” at Fort Benning in Georgia. We were subsequently reassigned to Fort Jackson, where we awaited his long-anticipated orders to serve for a year in Vietnam. When he was deployed, I packed up my newborn, Ward, and headed back to Rye.
Unfortunately, within 5 months, my husband was home, and I became a “nurse” very quickly and helped him recover from injuries from a land mine explosion. We were happily living in a garage apartment at my husband’s aunt and uncle’s house, which we eventually outgrew and ended up renting two houses before the opportunity arose to buy 27 Oneida Street in 1973. I have been there ever since.
Tell us about the street you grew up on.
Haynes: Growing up in Indian Village was the ultimate of what a “wonderful” life truly was. Our after-school hours and weekends were neighborhood gatherings of at least 10-15 of us. We rode bikes, roller skated, played red rover, kickball, flashlight tag, hide and seek, jump rope and occasionally ding-dong ditch! We were always on the go from the minute we got out of school to dinner time, when we were beckoned home by each of our mom’s distinctive whistles.
Being the youngest of “our gang,” I was always the target! Challenged to jump off a 7-foot wall at our neighbor’s, because “they had already done it” was no small feat for me! To this day, I can still feel the sting right through my Keds, when I nailed the landing… and shamefully everyone followed my lead. I earned another stripe!!!
Indian Village was ideal! Everyone looked after one another, it was an open door policy. There were few fences, and we wandered from yard to yard, and all our dogs ran free with us. During the summer months, the Good Humor man with his white truck and bell ringing would highlight our evenings! My mom kept the freezer well stocked, so when the Good Humor man did not show up, we would treat our friends, but we could never take the last one… that was for Mom!!
Honestly, it was a child’s world during the day, but the adults loved their gatherings without us!!! Remember… I was brought up in the day, when dinner was an event. Every night my mom changed out of her daytime attire to greet my dad, when he came home from work. They had their cocktails together, and at 7:30 we would all sit down at the dining room table for a meat/fish, potato and vegetable meal and discuss the day!!!
It was a more simplified lifestyle, but as I reflect on the four Rye Burke/Haynes generations, we have “lived” a wonderful life!
Who was your favorite teacher at Rye High School and what year did you graduate?
Haynes: I absolutely loved my Rye Grammar School years, located where CVS is currently, across from the post office. We transitioned to Midland School, when I was in third grade. My parents would not let me ride my bike until 5th grade, so my friends and I would meet on the corner of Highland and Mendota and walk.
In my educational journey, there was no teacher I loved more than Mr. Palermo, my 5th grade homeroom teacher. His sense of humor and devotion to his students were so evident, but watch out, if you stepped out of line, his gruff voice snapped anyone to attention but never scared me! My children followed in my footsteps, and they were lucky enough to also have Mr. Palermo as their 5th grade home room teacher. After Midland, I went to Rye Country Day School, so back to an easy walk from my house with my friends.
To survive in my family, you had to love sports. My two brothers taught me to be tough and competitive, so I left the academic achievements for them to accomplish. I graduated from a junior college in Washington DC, and the experience of living there far surpassed any educational advantages I could have had anywhere else… at least that is what I always told my parents! I had a great life there!
Where do you work in Rye and what do you do?
Haynes: Years of being a “professional” volunteer and running every fundraising event I could for United Hospital, our local hospital at the time, including The Twig Follies, Up With People, the press room at the Westchester Classic and subsequent golf tournaments and ended up as chairman of The Twig Organization and The Board of Managers, I eventually succumbed to my volunteer commitments and got my real estate license. Forty years later, I am continuously benefiting from a career that has been so good to me. Houlihan Lawrence hired me after Merritt Associates closed and to this day, I remain ever so grateful.
As a “people” person, I love learning about others. “They” are much more interesting than me. I always tried to instill that philosophy within my children….learning is a privilege, when it comes to others. My career has literally opened doors and given me the opportunity to meet and get to know some incredible people from all walks of life.
What in your view are the two or three greatest Rye traditions—current or past?
Haynes:
- Mistletoe Magic
- Window painting contests
- The new display of the festival of holiday lights
What about the great Rye institutions—community organizations, shops, restaurants. Which ones are or have been part of the Rye fabric?
Haynes: Fortunately, my memory can still take me back to my childhood and the days when we had a movie theater, which, unfortunately, burned down, Rip’s Diner, the Sweet Shop, our hang-outs after school, Mr. Maroni’s open air vegetable/fruit market, the Rye Fish Market with saw dust on the floor and The Rye Meat Market, loved the free slices of bologna, Weber’s Toys which became Lepler’s, and older than I, Jerry’s Post Road Market!
I cannot forget Playland, a “forever” Rye Landmark, The Rye Smoke Shop, Odell’s Hardware, The Towne Shop, Marilyn Shop, Balf’s Jewelers, Woolworth’s and so many others which include the iconic restaurants Kelly’s Sea Level, and voted by my family as having the best cheeseburgers ever and, of course, Belluscio’s, which sadly has recently closed.
My children would stop and visit Peggy and Tony at The Smoke Shop on their way home from school. Peggy would make sure she had an eye on what and how much they were buying and report back to me. Peggy was everyone’s mom. Until the day Peggy closed her doors, she kept the IOUs displayed on the wall behind the cash register which she had been given over the years, including my son Ward’s, for 10 cents!
And then there was our wonderful police pal, George De Fillipo, another Rye landmark, unto his own. He took such great pride in each and every child he helped cross the street. He knew names and took an interest in how they were doing. George was everyone’s friend, as were all the local Rye merchants. The warmth of Rye was intrinsic, and the genuine and kind consideration of the merchants and residents was Rye!
Change is good, but I-95 changed Rye forever. Gone were some of the hometown’s ingrained characteristics, as the cement and mortar took shape. Tony’s Garage/Gas Station on the corner of Purchase and Highland was demolished…. Tony was crushed, and he left a lasting impression on me, as he cried to my mom during our last gas fill up!
Rye Country Day’s lush and beautiful hollow which hallmarked its Oak Tree, the symbol of RCDS was no more! I remember Miss Borton, our sports teacher, overseeing our class’s last relay races in “The Hollow,” before the bulldozers took over!! At the time, it was hard for us to realize how much a 6-lane highway was going to positively and negatively impact our town.
In closing, my Rye life has been incredibly memorable… and I have enjoyed recounting some of its highlights while writing this. Of course, I know tomorrow will bring changes. I can only hope that future generations will continuously support the preservation of Rye’s historical values and traditions; but as in life, there are no guarantees!
