Kathleen Barrick “Barrie” Altvater Wallace, born Feb. 9, 1937, at Duke Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, passed away Jan. 8, 2025, at Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, surrounded by her family. Barrie was an extraordinary force of grace, compassion, joy and love. She dedicated her life to family, community, volunteerism, and creating opportunities for the arts and education in North Carolina, New Hampshire and Maine.
Barrie was raised on the historic property of Faucette Mill and the adjoining Coach House along the Eno River in Hillsborough, North Carolina, as well as in Denver, Colorado, by loving parents Margaret Ann “Peggy” and Frederick “Vernon” Altvater and alongside her sisters and best friends, Mary Jane Caison (Chris) and Ann Jervey (Packy). She graduated from Salem Academy and Duke University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1958. Like her mother, Barrie was a lifelong learner, always reading, researching, writing, taking courses and exploring new skills.
While at Duke, Barrie met Andrew G. “Andy” Wallace, and they married in June 1957. Their partnership spanned over 67 years, serving as a source of inspiration to many. Together, they were a testament to love, teamwork, commitment, resilience, adventure and family. They raised three children, S. Andrew Wallace (Linda), Michael B. Wallace (Claudia), and Kathleen C. “Kacie” Wallace (Richard), who were the beneficiaries of their mom’s unconditional love, support, sacrifices and hugs. With each addition to the family — including Mike and Claudia’s three sons, Timothy (Jenna and their daughter, Blakely), Alexander, and Oliver; Richard’s three daughters, Shalini, Sabrina, and Shania; and Linda’s three sons, Caleb, Nick, and Nate — Barrie graciously welcomed them with warmth, kindness and open arms.
Barrie’s career exemplified her expertise in communication and community building. She served as assistant director of the Downtown Durham Revitalization Foundation; senior vice president and partner at Phoenix Communications in Durham, North Carolina; and later as a public relations consultant for Duke University School of Medicine and Ledyard Bank in Hanover, New Hampshire. In every role, Barrie excelled at crafting compelling messages, fostering meaningful relationships, and cultivating a deep sense of community.
Barrie’s steadfast dedication to volunteerism left an indelible mark on the communities she served. She was a civic leader who deeply valued the arts and embraced the cultural vibrancy of her community, and a servant leader who led with grace, empathy, and an extraordinary gift for bringing light and life to everyone and everything she encountered.
In Durham and in Hillsborough, North Carolina, she served as president of the Head Start Policy Council, the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties, the Durham Arts Council, and the Association for the American Dance Festival. She chaired the National AAU Junior Olympic Swimming Championship, the Coalition for a New Public Library in Durham, and the North Carolina Theater Arts Commission. She served on the boards of Operation Breakthrough, Friends of West Point on the Eno, Friends of the Library, the Chamber of Commerce, the Volunteer Services Bureau, Central Carolina Bank, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the Museum of Life and Sciences. She also delivered Meals on Wheels, helped create the Dorothy N. Johnson Community Center, was active with Orange County Habitat for Humanity, and loved helping her St. Matthews Episcopal Church community, especially during FeST — a holiday craft fair to celebrate the talents of its parishioners.
In Hanover, New Hampshire, she led River City Arts as secretary, vice president and president; was instrumental in the Montshire Museum of Science as vice president and chair of its Land Planning Commission and Annual Sponsorship Fund; helped incorporate the Upper Valley Community Foundation; served on the board of the United Way of the Upper Valley; and helped plan the bicentennial celebration for Dartmouth Medical School.
In Cundy’s Harbor, Maine, she helped revitalize and raise funds for the Holbrook Community Foundation to protect Maine’s coastal heritage and preserve Holbrook’s working waterfront, hosted community coffees, helped gather books for the Cundy’s Harbor Library, and was the official scorekeeper at the annual Cundy’s Harbor Days lobster crate races.
Barrie loved reading, hiking with dogs and planting daffodils at the farm, doing needlework, going to street arts festivals, making scrapbooks of her adventures, sending funny cards, sailing and watching sailboats go by, and spending time with her family, neighbors, and dear friends.
Barrie will be remembered for her warmth, her ability to make everyone feel seen and valued, her fierce determination to serve, and her unwavering belief in the goodness of people and the importance of culture and community. She will be deeply missed, and her indelible impact will be remembered forever.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina, or the Holbrook Community Foundation in Harpswell, Maine — both communities that she passionately and selflessly served and which served her, Andy, and the whole Wallace family.
