Ann 'Nancy' Barnes, 83, artist, former TV producer
Ann Caroline Barnes, 83, of Rosemont, an artist and former television producer, died of an intestinal infection Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Ann Caroline Barnes, 83, of Rosemont, an artist and former television producer, died of an intestinal infection Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Mrs. Barnes died on her 83rd birthday in the same Main Line hospital where she was born, said one of her sons, D. Alexander Barnes.
As her strength ebbed, Mrs. Barnes heard lullabies being played on the loudspeaker - the hospital's way of announcing the birth of babies on a different floor. The music also was a fitting close to his mother's life, her son said.
Known as Nancy, Mrs. Barnes excelled as an athlete and artist at Radnor High School, where she played field hockey, basketball and lacrosse.
Two murals she painted while a student at the former high school on South Wayne Avenue adorned the walls of the auditorium for many years. The high school is now on King of Prussia Road.
After graduating in 1951, Mrs. Barnes received a scholarship to attend what is now the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She majored in illustration and pursued her passion for painting.
Later, she finished the rigorous art education program offered by the Barnes Foundation. She was not related to its founder, Albert C. Barnes. "It was just a coincidence that the names were the same," her son said.
In 1960, she married Dr. James D. Barnes. The couple settled in Rosemont and reared three children. He died in 2009.
Mrs. Barnes was active in community affairs, particularly in the arts and education. She was a founding member of both the Orton Dyslexia Society of Philadelphia and the Friends of the Barnes Foundation and served for 25 years on the board of directors at Montessori Genesis II School in Mantua.
When her children grew older, Mrs. Barnes became a producer and writer with WHYY TV12 and created programming in the arts, music, and community affairs.
Her holiday program, A Brandywine Christmas Carol, was a mainstay for 20 years beginning in the mid-1980s.
"Our family used to joke that the station got more bang for its buck, they ran the program so many times," her son said.
Mrs. Barnes was honored with the 1987 Philadelphia Women in Communications Award, a Telly award, and three local Emmy nominations.
Following the death of her mother, Katherine Mae Carpenter, in 1987, Mrs. Barnes left WHYY to focus on her painting. She established a studio in Lenox, Mass., and found that her paintings caught on with the public. They hang in corporate and private collections, as well as museums and galleries.
"Her artwork has a joyful sense of color to it," said her son.
Her time in the Berkshire Mountains also was joyful - she rowed her racing shell in mountain lakes, attended performances at the Tanglewood Music Center, entertained family and friends, and enjoyed the vibrant community of artists that gathered there.
A gifted, tenacious athlete, Mrs. Barnes loved the camaraderie and competition of tennis and paddle tennis.
"Her wicked spins and slices brought great success in local and regional tournaments over the years, and vexed many an opponent," her son said.
Mrs. Barnes' lifelong achievements in the arts and athletics, and as a producer for public television were recognized in 2010 with her induction into the Radnor High School Hall of Fame.
Besides her son D. Alexander, she is survived by a son Ted Barnes; a daughter, Elizabeth B. Riley; and six grandchildren.
Services will be private.
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