Barbara Wilkins Sturm

Barbara Wilkins Sturm went home to be with the Lord on November 26,2024. She was born in Norfolk General Hospital July 22 1938. Her parents, Richard and Clara Wilkins preceded her in death. Surviving her are sister Connie Etheridge, son, Richard Sturm and wife Becky, daughter, Linda Sturm, grandchildren Jay and Rebecca Sturm and many cousins and friends.

Barbara graduated from Princess Anne High School, Class of 1956, William and Mary College with a degree in Music Education in 1960, University of South Carolina with a Master of Education in Elementary guidance Counseling in 1990. She worked in the public school system as teacher and counselor in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Cheraw, South Carolina.

She worked privately as a piano teacher and served as organist and pianist for weddings, funerals and choirs for numerous church and civic musical presentations. Her last church where she served as organist for 11 years was Bayside Baptist Church in Virginia Beach.

In Seaford, DE she was elected President of AAUW, was cofounder and first president of the Seaford chapter of the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities. She was Seaford Chairman of the National Humanities Series and arranged for presentations and workshops by university professors and artists for schools and civic groups.

Barbara was appointed by the governor of Delaware to the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Children and served for 8 years. When she was elected president, she organized the council to assist the Dept. of Education in monitoring school districts for compliance with the Education for all handicapped Act of 1978. She was also appointed by the Governor to the Del. Task Force on the Implementation of Recommendations from the White House Conference on the handicapped. She represented the task force in the Interagency Management Committee if the State Dept of Education, social Services and corrections.

In Aiken, SC she served as Women’s Missionary Union at First Baptist Church of Aiken and directed activities for age related organizations. She took part in many mission’s trips with members of the church as was the Baptist Women Director for the Aiken Assoc. of WMU. Also, in Aiken she served as a Guardian ad Litem, investigated cases of child abuse and made recommendations to the family court.

Burial will be private. The celebration of her life will take place on Thursday, December 5, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church Norfolk, 312 Kempsville Rd. Norfolk, VA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in her name to The Benevolent Fund of First Baptist Church: www.firstnorfolk.org or to Operation Blessing: ob.org. Please visit her webpage at www.woodlawnnorfolk.com to leave a note of condolence to her family.