A longtime Henrico County resident, Barbara was born on March 30, 1930 in Arlington, New Jersey. She was the daughter of the late James H. and Jean A. Wilson, and was predeceased by a brother, Robert J. Wilson.
Barbara and her family moved multiple times along the east coast to follow her father’s engineering work.
She attended Newark State Teachers College in Kearny, NJ, and taught Kindergarten in Barnwell, SC and in Newport News, VA. Barbara taught a newly formed preschool special education class, sponsored by the Richmond ARC, in a Quaker church. She stopped teaching to raise her family, and later resumed teaching 4th grade in the Oregon Hill district of Richmond for a couple of years.
During her years of raising a family, Barbara volunteered many hours with MCV Hospital Auxiliary, Meals on Wheels, Virginia Voice, and Scouting among others. A longstanding member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Barbara sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. She enjoyed gardening, playing piano, bird watching, and making a home for family and pets.
Barbara is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Edwin Stanley Higgins; a daughter, Elizabeth Plunkett (Ted) of Annandale, VA; a son, James Higgins (Cathy) of Bethesda, MD; a son, Glenn Higgins of St. Louis, MO; and four grandchildren, Bryan Plunkett of Roanoke, VA, Scott Plunkett (Susan) of Ashburn, VA, Matthew Higgins of Rockville, MD, and Emma Higgins of Baltimore, MD. She also leaves behind an array of cousins who were as dear and close to her as any siblings.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Canterbury Foundation (https://foundation.wcrichmond.org) and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.donate.lls.org).
