Gene Barth, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, dedicated community leader, woman of visionary style, and devoted friend, died on Saturday, May 12, 2012, in Oklahoma City, OK, with her family by her side.
Gene was born and raised in Birmingham, AL, to Ella and Dave Bloomston, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where she studied Art History. She moved to Oklahoma City in 1971 and married Ed Barth on April 15, 1972.
From the beginning, Gene was an active leader in a wide range of community organizations that focused on the visual and performing arts, health, and education in Oklahoma City and beyond.
Gene served as a director of the Center for Mind, Body and Spirit, the Literary Voices for the Metropolitan Library Endowment Fund, the University of Oklahoma Health Science Institute for Breast Health, and the Payne Education Center.
She was recognized as an OCU Woman of Excellence and subsequently served the organization. She also served on The University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors, as a director of The Oklahoma Arts Institute and Ballet Oklahoma, and as a member of the Contemporary Arts Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Gene was widely known as a true creative perfectionist with impeccable taste and artistic flair, and she added a whimsical and unforgettable element to every event she organized, from large-scale community fundraisers to the most intimate of gatherings.
Over the years, Gene created extraordinary friendships across the spectrum of age and background. She maintained friendships across time and distance. She made each person feel important and valued, no matter what their role or perspective. She was both gentle and genteel, and elevated each encounter with a sense of humor, style, and poise.
Gene was both deeply involved in her community and curious about the world around her. She had an incredible talent for discovering new artists, spotting emerging style trends, and giving voice to others by virtue of what she saw. She was a true innovator and trendsetter, and inspired a curiosity and a broader world view among others.
She is survived by her husband, J. Edward Barth; 3 sons, Lance Rothstein and his wife, Melissa, of Philadelphia PA; Rodney Rothstein and his wife, Janelle, of northern Alabama; Lee Barth and his wife, Jen, of Portland OR; and her brother, Eddie Bloomston, and his wife, Delores, of Tampa FL. She was the beloved and doting grandmother — known as “Gigi” — to 5 granddaughters: Leslie, Jillian, Sophie, Marley, and Spencer. One of her greatest pleasures was bringing her family together to share her joy in La Jolla, CA, and inspiring them to see the world through her eyes.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Temple B’nai Israel, with burial at Fairlawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be sent either to the Center for Mind, Body and Sprit, 3366 NW Expressway, Suite 100, Oklahoma City, OK, 73112, or the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for the benefit of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 1000 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK, 73102.
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