Dr. Barbara Jean Wilkie

Dr. Barbara Jean Wilkie made her heavenly transition on Friday, October 30, 2020 following a massive heart attack. She was born on June 9, 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland to Dorothy Pindell Wilkie and Bryan Wilkie. She is survived by a brother, Powell Parks III of Atlanta; a niece, Mary Jane Lieberman of Pennsylvania; a grandniece, Sarah; a grandnephew, Max; several cousins, and her friend and companion of 48 years, Dr. Gail Trapnell.

Barbara was a loving, compassionate individual who always sought to support the needs of others. She started her career in retailing as the co-owner of a ladies dress shop in Gainesville, Florida, but after finishing her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at the University of Florida, she entered the educational profession where she was recognized as an outstanding leader at the local, state and national levels. She received her Master’s degree at the University of South Florida and later her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Florida State University. Among her many roles were teacher-coordinator of Marketing Education in St. Petersburg, Florida, Curriculum Specialist and Area Supervisor at the Florida Department of Education, Teacher-Educator of Marketing Education at Georgia State University, Executive Director of Elks Aidmore, Georgia Tech Prep Coordinator at the Department of Technical and Adult Education, invited educational consultant and workshop leader in many states, speaker at numerous state and national conferences, and author.

She was a member of North Atlanta Unity Church where she formerly served on the Board of Directors and Chair of the annual Kidsmas celebration for homeless mothers and their children. She loved to travel, having visited many countries over the years, going to the beach, music, the theatre, co-parenting the numerous dog rescues she and Gail adopted as their own, but most especially spending quality time with her countless friends. At the time of her death, she was a resident of KingsBridge Retirement Center where she had just been invited to serve as a resident ambassador.