Barbara "Barb" Ann Reeves (Gill) passed away peacefully inside her Atlanta, Georgia home at 1 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 30,2018. Barb was 74 years old and was preceded in death by her husband William "Bill' "Hawk" Reeves.
Barbara was born on December 4, 1943 in the small, desert, foothills town of Taft, California, as the eldest child of Bruce and Virginia Gill. She followed in her parents' footsteps with a love of gardening and amateur art. At a young age the family relocated to Walnut Creek, CA and moved by chance onto the same road on which her future husband, William. lived. The two fell in love and became engaged while studying wasps and sparrows at The University of California in Berkeley. Barb graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Biology and a minor in Fine Arts. The young couple married on June 18, 1966, and three years later moved to the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA. Intermittently from 1968 to 1974, Barbara traveled abroad to perform short term research work in marine biology, archeology, and anthropology in 6 countries within Central and South America. In September 1973, the couple moved to Seattle, WA so that Bill could fulfill a medical residency at the University of Washington. Both of Barbara's children were born during the 4 years she lived in Northeast Seattle.
A month after giving birth to her second child. the family moved to Punta Paitilla in Panama City in the Republic of Panama. Barbara became employed by the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools system as a teacher of Biology and Art. first at Curundu Junior High, and later at Balboa High School. During her years in Panama, Barbara won awards nine times from the National League of American Pen Women for her watercolor paintings. Prints of one of her paintings were sold by the British Aid Society of the British Embassy. After the family relocated to the edge of the rainforest in the town of Gamboa, Barb attained licenses to rehabilitate local injured wildlife. She also carried her passion for the natural world into leading Biological Honor Society students on various expeditions around the country. A highlight of her career was being selected by the Panama Science Institute in 1982 to represent Balboa High School on the first official DoDDS exploration of the Galapagos Islands. Due to escalating civil unrest in Panama, the family moved to Atlanta, GA in the summer of 1989. Within months of arriving in her new home. Barbara began volunteering at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, GA. In June 1998 she became employed by them as a part-time Interpretive Naturalist. Both as a volunteer and employee, Barb was vital for her contributions of illustrations, wildlife interpretation skills. leading workshops, and preserving and restoring biofacts. She became a certified Habitat Steward by the National Wildlife Federation in order to promote backyard habitats in her community. Additionally, Barb volunteered for 23 years helping to operate the hospital thrift store at Emory Crawford Long Midtown.
Barbara is survived by her younger sister and brother, her son and daughter, two nieces, two grandsons, 2 grand nephews, and a grand niece.
obituary courtesy of H. M Patterson and Son, Oglethorp HIll
Marilla J. Watts (Whitney)
Barbara "Barb" Ann Reeves (Gill) passed away peacefully inside her Atlanta, Georgia home at 1 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 30,2018. Barb was 74 years old and was preceded in death by her husband William "Bill' "Hawk" Reeves.
Barbara was born on December 4, 1943 in the small, desert, foothills town of Taft, California, as the eldest child of Bruce and Virginia Gill. She followed in her parents' footsteps with a love of gardening and amateur art. At a young age the family relocated to Walnut Creek, CA and moved by chance onto the same road on which her future husband, William. lived. The two fell in love and became engaged while studying wasps and sparrows at The University of California in Berkeley. Barb graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Biology and a minor in Fine Arts. The young couple married on June 18, 1966, and three years later moved to the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA. Intermittently from 1968 to 1974, Barbara traveled abroad to perform short term research work in marine biology, archeology, and anthropology in 6 countries within Central and South America. In September 1973, the couple moved to Seattle, WA so that Bill could fulfill a medical residency at the University of Washington. Both of Barbara's children were born during the 4 years she lived in Northeast Seattle.
A month after giving birth to her second child. the family moved to Punta Paitilla in Panama City in the Republic of Panama. Barbara became employed by the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools system as a teacher of Biology and Art. first at Curundu Junior High, and later at Balboa High School. During her years in Panama, Barbara won awards nine times from the National League of American Pen Women for her watercolor paintings. Prints of one of her paintings were sold by the British Aid Society of the British Embassy. After the family relocated to the edge of the rainforest in the town of Gamboa, Barb attained licenses to rehabilitate local injured wildlife. She also carried her passion for the natural world into leading Biological Honor Society students on various expeditions around the country. A highlight of her career was being selected by the Panama Science Institute in 1982 to represent Balboa High School on the first official DoDDS exploration of the Galapagos Islands. Due to escalating civil unrest in Panama, the family moved to Atlanta, GA in the summer of 1989. Within months of arriving in her new home. Barbara began volunteering at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, GA. In June 1998 she became employed by them as a part-time Interpretive Naturalist. Both as a volunteer and employee, Barb was vital for her contributions of illustrations, wildlife interpretation skills. leading workshops, and preserving and restoring biofacts. She became a certified Habitat Steward by the National Wildlife Federation in order to promote backyard habitats in her community. Additionally, Barb volunteered for 23 years helping to operate the hospital thrift store at Emory Crawford Long Midtown.
Barbara is survived by her younger sister and brother, her son and daughter, two nieces, two grandsons, 2 grand nephews, and a grand niece.
obituary courtesy of H. M Patterson and Son, Oglethorp HIll