Barbara McAvoy

Barbara Gwendolyn McAvoy (nee' Frick), age 70, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday March 27, 2012 in Austin, Texas. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Catherine Rebecca Frick, of Westminster, Maryland.

Barbara attended Hamilton Junior High School and graduated from Eastern High School in 1959. She was passionate about music, and was a soprano in the Phoenix Choir. She graduated from Baltimore Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in 1963.

She began her family in Indianapolis, Indiana and worked at Methodist Hospital in the neonatal ward. She and her family moved to her hometown Baltimore in 1971. She started her longest career journey at Church Home and Hospital. She continued her career as a Registered Nurse. In 1976, she began training to become one of the first Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners. As a Nurse Practitioner, she was able to perform a wide variety of duties previously restricted to medical doctors, including diagnosis, prescription, and treatment. Later she ran Church Hospital Hospice and Joseph Richey Hospice. Her devotion to her calling took her to nursing assignments at Johns Hopkins Hospital, in the pediatric oncology center; at Stella Maris elder care center; and Franklin Square Hospital among many others. Later she worked as a home health care nurse. She traveled by car everywhere in the Baltimore area, day and night, tending to the sick and dying with her own brand of compassion, humor, tenacity, and skill.

Barbara was a devout Lutheran and servant of God. She raised her children with a firm foundation, and demonstrated her belief in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in her daily work. From childhood, Barbara was a longtime congregant of Calvary Lutheran Church of Payson Street and North Avenue and later St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Parkville.

In her later years, Barbara retired to wonderful Austin, Texas. She spent her golden years happily enjoying needlepoint, reading, bird watching, fine wine, and cooking. She delighted in nature, she loved animals, and she had a special spirit of adventure and imagination. She fulfilled many dreams, she loved to travel, and she had endless curiosity about the world.

Barbara is survived by her children Susan Bartolini and her husband Andrew Bartolini of Acton, Massachusetts, Beth McAvoy and Mark McAvoy of Buda, Texas; and 2 beloved grandchildren Benjamin Robert Bartolini and Madeleine Shea Bartolini. She is also survived by her brother Charles Frick and his wife Carolyn of Pasadena, Maryland; her nephews Robert Frick of St. Charles, Maryland, and Michael Frick of Leesburg,Virginia; and cousin Bruce Frick of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Barbara's family wants to again thank the staff of St. David's Medical Center, especially the nurses in the IMC unit.

Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Barbara to the Austin Animal Shelter and to St. David's Medical Center.