Barbara Ann (McIntyre) Girdler

Barbara Ann (McIntyre) Girdler, age 70, died peacefully at home in her sleep on Sunday, March 24, 2019 as a result of congestive heart failure brought on by sarcoidosis.  The oldest of four children, Barbara was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 12, 1949 to William and Doris McIntyre. After graduating from Farmingdale High School, she studied oboe at The Manhattan School of Music until she married her beloved high school sweetheart and newly-minted US Navy sailor--Jeff--on December 29, 1968.  They lived in Virginia Beach, VA and Italy before settling in the Washington, DC area when Jeff was assigned to the United States Navy Band as a french horn instrumentalist. After the birth of their only child, Tim, Barbara enrolled in the University of Maryland, graduating with a B.S. in Education in 1978. She was a well-known, in-demand music educator of some renown, spending much of the next 15 years as a band director at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, MD and Perry Hall High School, north of Baltimore.  After retiring from band directing in 1994, Barbara served for several years as Minister of Music at United Baptist Church in New Carrollton, MD. For the last 20 years, she poured her professional energies into countless private oboe students, whom she adored. Until recently, Barbara played oboe and was the English horn soloist with The Columbia Orchestra. The most important things in Barbara’s life were her family, her students, and her relationship with Jesus Christ, her Savior--whom she desired to glorify with everything she did.  She was an active member of Burtonsville Baptist Church, where her husband Jeff is the Associate Pastor. Barbara was preceded in death by her father and her sister Kerry. She is survived by her mother, her brother Bill, her sister Sue, her husband Jeff, her son Tim, her daughter-in-law Bonnie, and her granddaughters Katelyn and Rebekah.

Visitation will be Friday, April 5, 2019 from 2-4PM and 6-8PM at Donaldson Funeral Home

12540 Clarksville Pike (MD Rt. 108), Clarksville, MD 21029.  A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 7:00PM at United Baptist Church, 7701 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton, MD 20784.  Interment August 13, 2019 at one o'clock at  Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be mailed to the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra of Strathmore:

MCYO

The Music Center at Strathmore

5301 Tuckerman Lane

N. Bethesda, MD 20852

Please make checks payable to Strathmore “(for MCYO)” and in the memo line notate “In memory of Barbara Girdler”

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