Barbara was born to Gladys and Donald Campbell in Omaha, NB. She grew up in Birmingham, AL and even though she was a transplant to the south, she was a true southern belle. She attended Stephens College and University of Alabama where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha. She moved to New York City to work for Norton Simon and Junior Sophisticates. When she returned to Birmingham, she was a buyer for Pizitz Department Store.
She married the love of her life Gwin Montgomery in 1951. After having their first child, they moved from Birmingham to several cities in Mississippi due to Gwin’s opportunities in the automobile business. From Mississippi they moved to Baton Rouge in 1961. Opportunity arose for a move to Carmel, California in 1964 where her parents had retired, and her brother and sister lived nearby. They returned to Baton Rouge in 1970. In each of these places Barbara made a warm and wonderful home for her family and many lifelong friends.
Barbara and Gwin enjoyed 67 happy years until his death in 2018. She is survived by four children: Gail George (Dave), Mark Montgomery (Freda), Susan Talbert (Kyle), and Steven Montgomery (London); 14 grandchildren: Matthew George (Tawny), Lindsay Sanchez (Chad), Katie Montgomery Mears (Whitney), Christina Beck (Colin), Jennifer Montgomery, Andrew George (Reshae), Laura Walsh (Joe), Logan Breaux (Lucas), Lauren Finical (Peyton), Elizabeth Montgomery, Anna Talbert, Victoria Montgomery, Faith Montgomery, and Mickey Montgomery; and 11 great-grandchildren. Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and siblings Robert Campbell (Polly), Ruth Spidell (Haydon), and Alice Carrell (Ed).
Barbara was a woman of faith and trust in God, and she was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church. She was fascinated by history and enjoyed being a part of the John James Audubon chapter of the DAR. She loved the arts and supported the Baton Rouge Symphony League, the Baton Rouge Opera Guild, the American Needlepoint Guild, and was a previous board member of the LSU Museum of Art. She was a member of the Baton Rouge Country Club and enjoyed time with friends there for many years. She loved being a part of the Reviewers Book Club and was diligent in her preparation and reviews. She greatly enjoyed the annual themed Christmas luncheons. She was also a longtime member of the Sharks Investment Club, and she was delighted to pass on the knowledge she gained to her grandchildren.
She will be remembered for her warmth, graciousness, hospitality, love of collecting, and razor-sharp memory. Her greatest joy was her family - she loved to cook for them, host gatherings, beat them in Hand & Foot card games, share her love of Carmel, and send long emails back and forth. She told them often how much she dearly loved them and how proud she was of each of them.
The family wishes to thank Barbara’s devoted caregivers: Channa Courtney, Sandra Fields, Meethie Fields, Kendra Moore, Lisa Morris, Linda Payton, and Chandra Riley.
A visitation will be held at Rabenhorst Funeral Home (825 Government Street) on Monday, March 25 at 5:30 pm. The memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, March 26 at 11 am with a visitation at 10 am. Reverend Katie Montgomery Mears and Reverend Gerrit Dawson will officiate the service. The service may be livestreamed by visiting www.fpcbr.org and clicking the yellow "livestream" button on the homepage. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 763 North Blvd., Baton Rouge 70802 or to a charity of one's choice.
