Barbara Woolard

Barbara passed away on January 18, just one day shy of her 95th birthday. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Hank Woolard and her daughter, Kim. She is survived by her daughter Cathy and her wife, Karen Geney; her son, Jack; grandchildren Kelly O'Neill Chan (Justin), Abby Mathews (Daniel) and Wil Woolard (Beth) plus many nieces and nephews whom she loved like her own children.

Barbara was born in Atlanta and attended the University of Georgia where she met and married Hank. They took off to see the world together as a career Air Force family. One never really knows the strength and sacrifice of a military spouse until you see them single handedly move kids and dogs around the world every 3-4 years.

Barbara was an artist. She majored in Art at UGA where she produced many paintings that now hang on the walls of family members. As she acquired kids, pets and made homes in Guam, Texas, Atlanta, Germany, Washington DC, New Jersey and Charleston, she never stopped making art and creating beautiful things.

As the Woolard family traveled the world, she made sure that her kids spent agonizing hours in every art museum, castle and church we passed and although we failed to appreciate the lessons at the time, her family evolved somewhat from the non-artistic bores we were to at least having an eye for well-made clothes, pretty pictures and the skill of fine craftmanship. She was an accomplished seamstress - at first making clothes for herself and children and then quilts and other decorative items with her treasured sewing machine. She was an inveterate crafter and tried her hand at anything that involved color, texture, and form. She saw the colors of the world with a vibrancy and importance that many of us just don't take the time to appreciate.

Barbara was a member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church. She appreciated the friends she made over the years who were a constant support, this year especially. She and Hank were very involved with the Fugees Family and New American Pathways, always welcoming new Americans to this country and maintaining friendships long after their support was no longer needed.

We can't say enough good things about the caregivers at AG Rhodes/Atlanta who became friends and family to us over the last year. Staff and residents there form a unique extended family that welcomed her from the first day until her last and we will be forever grateful for their love and professionalism.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to organizations she loved like Fugees Family, Inc. (www.fugeesfamily.org), New American Pathways (www.newamericanpathways.org), the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (www.ocrahope.org), Oak Grove United Methodist Church (www.ogumc.org) and AG Rhodes/Atlanta (www.agrhodes.org). A memorial service in celebration of Barbara's life will be held at Oak Grove United Methodist Church on Sunday, February 15th at 2pm.