Barbara Phillips Martin passed away peacefully on May 18th, 2024 at the age of 77 in her
community of Advent Christian Village. She had just wrapped up a wonderful visit with her
daughter Ashley before making the transition to be with her husband Gary, who passed away
last year.
The hallways of Advent Christian Village will be noticeably quieter without her boisterous
laughter. Babs loved to laugh. It's one of the reasons she enjoyed being around children so
much. Babs was a proud Seminole (Class of 1968) even though she married a Gator. She was
an active member of her community in Decatur, GA for many years as a preschool teacher and
a volunteer who co-founded the Fairy Godmother Program at Egleston Hospital, now Children's
Hospital of Atlanta, to support families with children battling illness. She also enjoyed singing
barbershop music with a local Sweet Adelines chapter.
Babs married her high school sweetheart, Gary, and they enjoyed 56 years of marriage
together. Babs and Gary were longtime members of St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Atlanta and
later Crossroads Presbyterian Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia. She loved animals and in
particular, her cats. She was known for rescuing a few who turned out to be a bit unstable and
enjoyed climbing the wallpaper and pouncing on unsuspecting visitors to the house.
Babs is survived by her two children Ashley Novak (Michael) and Michael Martin (Lisa), and five
grandchildren; Madison, Kathryn, Avery, Ethan, and Ellis. Sister and best friend Carol Glatz (Tom), Burnsville, NC. Babs also leaves behind an extended
"chosen family", Sally Brown Rhoden, Jeff Poole, Gail Chapman, "Bud" Campbell, Al & Cathy
Sistrunk and several beloved caregivers at Good Samaritan Center at Advent Christian Village.
She will be honored in a celebration of life at Bixler Chapel in Dowling Park, FL on Thursday,
May 23rd at 11a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make a donation to a favorite
children's charity of your choosing.