Alzheimer’s disease has always been the thorn in Barbara’s side. It is almost like her curse for the Faustian bargain of fame and success.
As a child, Barbara joined her nine siblings to care for their mother, Florence. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2003 and, unfortunately, passed away in 2012. She never imagined those years would prepare her for her husband’s struggle with the same illness.
Barbara Corcoran on Her Husband’s Diagnosis
The 75-year-old Shark Tank investor shared that her husband of 37 years, retired Navy captain and former FBI agent Bill Higgins, is now in a memory care facility following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Barbara Corcoran commented on the whole ordeal, saying, “My husband has Alzheimer’s, and he’s [currently] living in the memory ward of an extended care home, and it’s an extremely difficult journey. I think because I had my mother go through this journey earlier, I’m a great mate to give him everything that he needs. I feel a lot better about it.”
Caring for her mother taught Barbara something she still carries and imparts to others facing similar challenges today. One way to deal with it is to connect with people living with memory loss on their terms.
Barbara’s number one advice is to “Get in their world. The minute you see them, get into their world. My husband doesn’t know who I am; he’s still back in Annapolis playing football, so I bring football photos and put them on his wall. I ask him to tell me about his plays. He has a great memory for what he did on the football field.”
Barbara explained that she now immerses herself in whatever her husband is talking about, creating a way to communicate with him. She contrasted this with her approach years ago with her mother, where she tried to pull her back into the real world, which never really worked.
How Barbara and Bill First Met
Barbara and Bill’s story began in 1981 at a conference in New York. Bill, a former FBI agent serving in the Navy reserves, was working in real estate at the time. Barbara had already built a name for herself with The Corcoran Group, and Bill was eager to learn more about her.
At first, Bill kept things professional and even turned down Barbara’s invitation to spend a weekend together. Looking back, Bill considers this refusal as something that probably piqued Barbara’s interest even more.
After about six months, they began dating. Barbara soon became part of Bill’s world, including his four children from a previous marriage. They later got engaged in Norway and married on Valentine’s Day in 1988.
Lessons from Her Mother That Shaped Barbara’s Career
Barbara often says her mother taught her one of the most valuable lessons that she’s carried into her real estate career and her work investing in Shark Tank entrepreneurs. “If there’s one gift my mother had, it was identifying the gift in each and every one of her children.”
She further elucidates on this point by saying, “The first ingredient was going to be that I took on the attitude my mother had about us as children. People come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities, but I would always drill down with the individual and try to figure out what their gift is and then make a position for them in my firm, and they always prospered.”
She finishes her point by saying, “It’s such an important skill to really get people who will work for you in the right roles, and that’s what I always did.”
Barbara Corcoran said that the way her mother saw people and believed in everyone is how she runs her business and her life. She added that even during the toughest times, she can hear her mother’s voice reminding her to focus on the good.
Barbara often talks about what it takes to keep going when the odds are against you. She explained, “There are a million reasons to give up a journey because it’s not easy. There are a million reasons not to recover from rejection because it doesn’t feel good, and it has nothing to do with you personally; it’s just the way of the world.”
She added that true success comes from how you handle setbacks. “You are going to have to jump over 10 obstacles to reach one. And so, you have to bounce back from the 10. I really do judge people on how quickly they bounce back,” she said.
The Quiet Power of Barbara Corcoran’s Story
Barbara Corcoran’s story is a reminder that life doesn’t come with a roadmap. The challenges we face often shape how we show up for the people we love. Her experiences with her mother taught her patience, empathy, and resilience. Now she carries these lessons into her marriage, her business, and her investments.
For Barbara Corcoran, every test life brings seems to circle back to one truth, i.e., love is the real measure of success. It’s what drove her as a daughter, as a wife, and as a leader. Even when faced with loss, she finds light in connection. That’s what makes her story quietly powerful.
