Barbara Henry Fly

The Nashville native loved two other men besides Jesus -- her husband of almost 41 years, Randall, and her only son, Colin. She is also survived by her only grandchild, Christian, who she met a few months before being called home, and her daughter-in-law, Christina Rozek Fly.

She was well-loved by her extended family, including her parents, Mary and Ralph Henry, her sister, Karen Oldfield, and her brothers -- Bill, Steve and Michael; as well as her sister-in-law, Marcia Fly, and brother-in-law, Thurston Fly.

Barbara’s first passion was teaching children how to read. Following her own education at Donelson High and Middle Tennessee State University, she spent nearly 40 years as an educator at Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, primarily at DuPont Elementary in Old Hickory.

After she retired, she assisted middle school children. While the kids were bigger than those at DuPont, she found some of her greatest joy in the time she worked at Thurgood Marshall Middle School and often spoke of her desire to return there.

Barbara was a sensitive soul who saw people’s true needs when others didn’t.

For example, she helped create a church program called the Hope Learning Center, dedicated to helping recent immigrants learn English in a community that had become more diverse over her time attending Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hermitage.

Barbara also had a beautiful mind from her creativity in writing unpublished short stories to her joy of painting to her ability to problem solve and see things in ways her family didn’t.

She set an example we should all aspire to for humility and patience.

The family will have a memorial service to celebrate Barbara’s life on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m. and lunch afterward at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 5110 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220. A private interment will occur later. We ask those interested in lieu of flowers to instead make a donation to Our Savior Lutheran Church, subject line Food for the Poor.