Obituary of Barbara Sargent

Barbara left us during a blizzard, February 8, 2013, from Brunswick, Maine. Born January 14, 1921 in New York City, Barbara married the Reverend Martin Van Buren Sargent, a Congregational Minister, September 29, 1944 at The Riverside Church in Manhattan. Barbara is preceded in death by her husband and survived by her children: Merritt, Paul, Job, and Lilie. A passionate advocate for justice and human rights, Barbara worked tirelessly for a world where openness, inclusion, tolerance and love are the foundations of community life. Barbara attended Ethical Culture Schools in New York City. She graduated Radcliffe College in 1943 with a BA in Fine Arts and Philosophy. Prior to her married life, she worked for the Fine Arts Department, Wheaton College, MA., for Putnam Publishers, and as a night-time reader of manuscripts for Putnam and Coward McCann, NYC. As a minister’s wife, painter and writer, she placed paintings in juried shows and wrote articles about the relationship of the Church and the Arts which were published in Motive, Pulpit Digest, Christian Century and Christianity and Crisis magazines, and many newspaper articles. While living in Bath, Maine, she was instrumental in commissioning the Bath City Fountain, “Spirit of the Sea”, by William Zorach, 1962, and while living in Paris, France, she was a primary organizer of the sympathy demonstration in France and throughout Europe for the March on Washington, 1963. On her return to the USA, Barbara was employed as Director of Development at Union Theological Seminary, NYC; at Hartford Seminary, CT; and at Bangor Theological Seminary ME. Barbara retired to Bath, Maine, and served as Chair, Board of Directors, Center for the Arts, Bath, ME; as a Board member, Zorach Fountain Committee; and is a Member of the UCC Church. A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at a later date. Donations may be made in her name to the “Friends of the Zorach Fountain”, POB 846, Bath, ME, 04530.