Before heading south, Isabel met her husband, Gene Barber, at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in NYC where they were instructors. She soon followed him into the police department. Both made Detective, narcotics division; Isabel becoming the first Hispanic woman detective of the NYPD and later recognized by the City of New York for her pioneering work, in a ceremony “retiring” her badge.
Isabel and Gene were fixtures at private tennis & dinner clubs such as the former Terminus Club in Marietta; owners of Pinecrest apartments in Smyrna; and eventually turned over a row of cottage houses on Dresden Drive to developers who created the Brookhaven retail district that stands there today.
Isabel applied her sense of style to developing concepts for a well-appreciated family restaurant in Atlanta’s north side neighborhoods, and in the countless works of art she created or acquired while taking classes in painting, private airplane piloting, or any other adventure that suited her fancy.
Recognizing at that time that decent pizza or Italian food in the Atlanta area was a scarcity, Isabel and Gene, along with two of Gene’s brothers, created Roswell’s memorable Gabby’s Pizza in Brannon Square in Roswell and Gabby’s Take-Out Pizza on Northridge Road in Sandy Springs. Named for an odd character from their Brooklyn neighborhood growing up, Gabby’s placed real Italian food on the Atlanta food scene in the mid-1980’s.
In all these efforts, it was Isabel’s aesthetics, good taste, and direct manner that moved projects ahead. All these enterprises were family-run, relying on siblings, nieces & nephews, and extended networks of friends-like-family to succeed. Isabel left an impression on everyone she touched. She loved to travel frequently and taste life – whether it was someplace new or returning to a beloved spot with her favorite traveling companions.
Preceded in death by her husband, Gene, and her son, John, Isabel continued doting on her nieces & and nephews, and grand niece. Delighting in their stories while entertaining them with hers; even better when told over evening cocktails – her favorite was an Old Fashioned at 5pm sharp.
We will miss her.
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