Barbara B Rose, 88, passed away peacefully on February 9, 2023, surrounded by her loving friends and family. She was born on September 26, 1934, in Harrisburg, PA, to Dr. Benjamin and Mildred Buyer. She was a longtime resident of Atlanta, GA.
Barbara was married to Richard John Livingstone Martin on October 19, 1986, until his passing in 2013. She was also preceded in death by her brother, John Buyer. She is survived by her daughter, Cheryl Rose (Atlanta), four stepchildren, James Martin (Atlanta), Paul Martin (Decatur), Jennifer Centeno (Boulder, CO), and Christine Rose (Seattle, WA), five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Barbara was president and senior partner with New Generation Partnerships, a management consulting company that specialized in helping not-for-profits succeed. Also, a renowned philanthropist, Barbara supported many organizations in Atlanta, across the country and around the globe. Barbara's passion for education and empowering young people kept her busy supporting organizations she cared about, and she served those organizations in many capacities. Barbara was advisor for the board of the HEART School in Haiti. She was past president of the Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club, served on the board at youthSpark Atlanta, board member of the Possible Woman Foundation International, and was a founding board member of the Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business at San Diego State University. Her legacy continues today through several programs and awards including the Richard John Livingstone Martin Humanitarian Design Award at Georgia Tech, the Barbara Rose Volunteer of the Year Award at the Atlanta Midtown Rotary. The Secondary School at the HEART School in Haiti was recently named after Barbara Rose.
Barbara served on the administrative staff at Georgia Tech for more than ten years and as Vice President for Development at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta (now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta). Before coming to Atlanta in 1980, she had been Director of College Relations at Keystone College, in La Plume, PA. Barbara was an author of several books. Her non-fiction books focused on non-profit fundraising. She also authored two detective novels and a children’s book. In December 2022, she published A Christmas Memoir: The Senses of Christmas, a collection of holiday poems she had written every year, for 49 years.
Barbara was an avid world traveler visiting many countries, including Iceland, Madagascar, Haiti, China, and many others. She made new friends wherever she went and was beloved by many. She will be greatly missed by friends, family, and all those whose lives she touched.
A memorial will be held on Friday, March 3, at 1 PM, at H.M. Patterson & Son – Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road, NE, Sandy Springs, GA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Barbara's honor to the HEART School in Haiti, the Atlanta Zoo, youthSpark Atlanta, and the Wendy Gillespie Center at San Diego State University, or a charity of your choice.
