Barbara T Sasnett

October 13, 1925—January 4, 2015

A creative spirit followed Barbara Thornton Sasnett her entire life. Born in Tampa,

Florida she lived in Key West, Jacksonville and New Orleans before coming to Atlanta in the post WWII 1940s to pursue an arts education at the High Museum of Art. Known in her younger years as Muffin she roomed with a friend named Jookie. When Jookie was unavailable for a date with a certain Georgia Tech student, Bolling Sasnett, Jr. she suggested he take out her roommate Muffin instead. That date led to 25 years of marriage and five children. Barbara was a devoted, imaginative mother who taught her children to be expressive in their own individual ways. Among her children’s memories are spending summers at the family lake house on Lake Rabun: Mama would load us in the panel station wagon, pots and pans, all the pets and kids, no telephones, no television and away we would go to the lake. We would spend the entire summer together with Dad coming up on weekends. She taught us the simplest ways to have fun—we needed nothing but nature, ourselves, and her. Picnicking at Minnehaha and the little wooden bridge, feeding the fish off the little house porch in the moonlight, playing rock school, building rock houses, were just a few of the many joys we shared with her. Barbara was fun loving. When her children were younger she would take them sledding at night during those exciting Atlanta snows. Or would call them in the middle of the night, waking them to announce it was snowing. Her playfulness continued through her life, always the first to pull a prank on April Fools Day. She instilled the tradition of celebrating each birthday and holiday. Always sending a card and greeting the birthday with round of birthday song. Barbara was a fierce protector of her children. When a neighbor played a mean Halloween prank on one of her kids, she was resourceful, enlisting a daughter and her friends for a counteraction. The details of this caper are treasured memories doled out as gifts of hilarity for family and friends but suffice to say, she out-pranked the prankster. Her joy was tempered with her compassion and a love of all living creatures. When a young newborn bird fell from its nest, she created a nest in a shoebox and nursed it with an eyedropper. The bird, named “Chirper,” grew up and was free to fly away, but liked its new family and stayed, flying in and out of the house as the windows and doors would allow. Stray animals would find a way to her door, and enviably would have a new home. When she wasn’t managing the raising of her five children she worked as a retail sales associate at several of Atlanta’s distinguished establishments including Maier and Berkeley, Brentano’s and the Metropolitan Museum Of Art Store. She received both the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store Employee of the Year Award and the Atlanta Retail Sales Associate of the Year Award, despite working only part time. She collected art, supported local artists. Barbara was a volunteer Pink Lady in the Northside Hospital emergency room, where her experiences led to lectures to her children on the dangers of motorcycles. Her devotion to family endured her entire life. Her children’s lives are filled with art, creativity and a love of nature. Barbara peacefully passed away, surrounded by her children in a room filled with love. She was predeceased by her daughter, Gayle Sasnett Pace, and is survived by her children Barbara Lynn Sasnett, Nina Sasnett Watts, Bolling Sasnett, III, and Holly Sasnett, and their spouses Malvern Pace, Randall Watts, Mary Jane Sasnett; and grandchildren Kimberly Wolfe and her husband Scott, Matthew Pace, Lili Watts, Bolling “Hall” Sasnett, IV, Steele Sasnett and great grandchildren Marin and Cooper Wolfe. A private family service will be held at Arlington Memorial Cemetery.