Carolyn Elizabeth Pitner Barber

Carolyn Elizabeth Pitner Barber, 79, died Sunday, January 19, 2020, in Bethlehem, West Bank, while on a tour of the Holy Land.  There will be a celebration of her life at Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, 11:00 a.m., January 30, 2020, with Reverend Dr. Matt Woodbery, Lead Pastor, and Reverend M. Creede Hinshaw, Senior Pastor Emeritus, officiating.  A reception will follow in the church parlor where the family will greet friends.  Her ashes will be interred in a private ceremony at the Pitner family plot in New Albany, Mississippi.  The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be given in Carolyn’s memory designated to the Mulberry Street United Methodist Church Community Garden, or to Macon Outreach at Mulberry, and sent to 719 Mulberry Street, Macon, GA 31201.

Born on August 14, 1940, in New Albany, Mississippi, Carolyn was the daughter of the late Shannon Wright Pitner and Willie Wilkins Porter Pitner.  Carolyn grew up in New Albany, and graduated from New Albany High School in 1958, where she was student body president her senior year.  She attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and received a B.S. degree from Blue Mountain College, Ripley, Mississippi, in 1961.  She earned a M.Ed. from the University of Mississippi.

Carolyn began her teaching career in Amory, Mississippi.  She taught grades 4 through 6, for 36 years.  She was known as an excellent teacher and a strong disciplinarian.  She taught one year in the American Overseas Dependent School System, Department of Defense, on Bitburg Air Base, Germany.  She taught seven years in the New Albany Municipal Separate School District.  She finished her teaching career in the Bibb County Public School System, teaching in four different grammar schools.  She retired in 1998.

Carolyn then began an extensive period of foreign, and some domestic, travel, generally with her close friend Linda Lane.  She visited Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Morocco, Russia, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Alaska, Greece and the Greek Isles, Turkey, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Egypt, and finally the Holy Land.

Carolyn and her husband moved to Macon in 1973.  During their early years in Macon, she was active in the Junior Woman’s Club, and the Mercer Women’s Club.  During her retirement, she attained her Master Gardner certification.  For two years, she was responsible for the Junior Master Gardner program at Sonny Carter Elementary School.  She became active in Macon Chapter I of the PEO.  For many years, up until the day of her death, she was Chapter Treasurer.  She was also active in the Heart of Georgia Story League.  She was League Secretary when she died.

Carolyn and her husband joined Mulberry Street United Methodist Church in 1974.  There she taught in the Children’s Sunday School Program, was a parent sponsor in the youth program, was co-chair of the Older Adults program, directed the Young at Heart program, taught in summer Bible School for many years, and was a Gazelle serving homebound members with visitation and transportation to church.  During retirement, she worked two mornings a week in the church Community Garden, several years as co-director.  She was a delegate from Mulberry to the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  She volunteered one morning a week at Macon Outreach at Mulberry.  She received a Quiet Disciple Award in 2013 for her many years of service.  She was a member of the Berg-Brenner Sunday School Class, and at the time of her death the Joy Class.

Carolyn is survived by her husband of 50 years, G. Russell Barber, Jr., her daughter Elizabeth (Beth) L. Herndon (Grant), her brother Shannon Porter Pitner of Memphis, nephew Shannon F. Pitner (Rebecca), her brother-in-law Donald William Barber (Sherry) of Fullerton, CA, nephews Darin William Barber (Stephanie) and Justin Truett Barber (Sherry Dee), and niece Andrea Laura Barber.

Please visit www.hartsmort.com to express condolences.

Hart’s Mortuary and Cremation Center, 765 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201 has charge of arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carolyn Elizabeth Pitner Barber, please visit our floral store.