Barbara Fligg cherished her family and friends, enlivened art for children, pursued eclectic interests, and was the consummate organizer. She simultaneously reared three children alone, worked at Rich’s department store, and earned an English degree at Georgia State University in three years. When she later married Michael Fligg of Marietta, she told him that with her, his life would never be dull. Barbara Grass Fligg, 73, of Marietta, died Sunday, November 24 of endometrial cancer at her home. The funeral Mass is 10:30AM, Friday, November 29, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 3401 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30068. Visitation is 6:00 until 8:00PM, Wednesday, November 27 at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd., NE, Sandy Springs, GA. Interment will take place on Monday, December 2 at 12:00PM, Noon at Georgia National Cemetery, Canton. Ballet training in her youth ended when she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. Her love of dance and the arts endured. The New York City native maintained her lithe dancer’s elegant and graceful carriage and later took a ballet class for adults. That led to her performance as an extra in the Nutcracker at the Fox Theatre. She said if you add up her time on stage and number of performances, that was her 15 minutes of fame. Earlier fame, though, came when the September 1955 Coronet magazine profiled Barbara to illustrate the life of a teenager. Barbara was a High Museum of Art docent emeritus where since 1996 she conducted children’s tours every Thursday. For her, it was more fun to connect art to children than to adults. However, she didn’t overlook adults’ need for exposure to fine art. As president of the High’s former Suburban Arts guild, she arranged monthly tours of private art collections and artists’ studios for about 40 members. Fellow docents became friends beyond their volunteer work because Barbara was thoughtful, made herself available, and truly listened. She wrote lovely thank-you notes some friends have saved and re-read to this day. In her elegant fashion, Barbara was a straight talker. When she contributed to a charity which thanked her repeatedly through the mail and telephone calls, she let it be known that was a waste of time and money which should be spent on its services. Everything she took on, she took on with a passion. She enrolled in any Evenings at Emory class that piqued her interest. To improve her presentation of High tours, she joined Toastmasters International. Every trip included a museum visit accompanied by her usually reluctant husband. Because of Barbara, he came to enjoy exhibits that touched on his interests in history and architecture. She recruited High Museum supporters from her gym workouts, planned special birthday events for her 12 grandchildren, delighted in week-long trips playing bridge, and planted her yard with flowers to attract butterflies. She was drawn to butterflies for their beauty and fluttering yet was terrified of birds. Barbara had no less passion for organizing. If her husband was going to the store for three items, he did not leave the house without a list she wrote down for him. Her mother and step-father, Louise and John Malossi of Forest Hills, NY, and her father, Arnold Grass of New York City, died before Barbara. Survivors other than her husband, Michael Fligg, include a son, Brian Conlon and his wife Gina Conlon of Alpharetta; two daughters, Pamela Cannon and her husband Cass Cannon of Cumming and Alison Young and her husband Robert Young of Marietta; a stepson, Jonathon Fligg and his wife Margaret Fligg of Atlanta; a step-daughter, Alyson Fligg and her husband Joel Cohen of Arlington, VA; a sister, Dolores Maresca, New York, a brother, John Malossi, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and a sister, Joan Malossi of Glendale, NY; and grandchildren Kelly Conlon, Kaitlin Conlon and Brian Conlon of Alpharetta; Bridget Shepherd and Cassidy Cannon of Cumming; Gage Young, Marissa Young, Gunnar Young, and Gannon Young of Marietta; and Charles Fligg, William Fligg, and Mary Margaret Fligg of Atlanta. Memorial contributions may be made by mail, online or by phone to MADD at 1000 Circle 75 Pkwy SE, Ste. 45, Atlanta, GA 30339, or to the American Cancer Society at 250 Williams St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5