Obituary of Barbara Anne Patton

Barbara Anne Patton (nee Volkman) passed away on November 21, 2022.  She was born on May 16, 1947 in Baltimore, MD. She was the daughter of George Charles and Nettie Volkman. Barbara grew up at the family’s home in Lochearn, Maryland in Baltimore County.

Barbara attended Randallstown Elementary, Campfield Elementary (later taught there with the same principal and some of her teachers), Johnnycake Elementary School annex (to accommodate a lack of space at the junior high school), Sudbrook Junior High, and Woodlawn High School, graduating in 1965.  In the second grade she started private violin lessons.

Following graduation she attended Frostburg College in western MD, where she majored and excelled in education and graduated in 1969.  She began a decades long career teaching primarily second graders in Baltimore County until she retired in 1999.  While teaching. she earned a Masters Degree in Education at Johns Hopkins University in 1982.  Barbara was married in 1972 to Lynn Patton and they divorced in 1987.  Barbara never had children of her own.  However, she often talked about the hundreds of children she taught and the student teachers she trained, many of whom thanked her years later for being their guiding light.

 In 1997 Barbara became active in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.  DKG is a professional honor society of top women educators from around the world promoting excellence in education.  Barbara was a member of the MD - Mu Chapter of Baltimore County.  She was inducted into the chapter October 14, 1997.  She was President of the chapter from 2002 to 2004.  She was a member-at-large of the Coordinating Council, Chairperson of the Communications Committee, member of the Professional Affairs and Nomination Committees, Co-Editor with Dorothy Anderson (1998) of the Chapter's Newsletter, Mu's News, served as Chapter First Vice President, Corresponding Secretary, Chairperson of the Finance Committee with Sheila Owens, (Chapter Treasurer), and Chairperson of the Sunshine Committee and Celebration of Members. 

Barbara also started a business as a Creative Memories Consultant. She enjoyed helping others organize their photos and create meaningful photo albums.  Over the years there were several well-loved pets - cats and dogs. Barbara collected antiques (especially China napkin rings), and teddy bears and baskets.

Barbara is survived by her brother George Volkman and his wife Kimmy, and 3 cherished friends (Judy Gregory, Debbie Green, and Sheila Owens, all of whom she considered her sisters, as well as cousins Dana Phipps, Carole McShane and her husband Mike , Fred Merker and his wife Dotty, Jamie Tucker and her husband Steve, Anna Pasqualucci, Kathy Mejia and her husband Adam, and Stephany Yurkewich.