It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Ingrid E. Barnes this past Monday, 4 February, 2008 from cancer of her colon.
I will always remember Ingrid as a driving force, a strong and driven woman; one with whom one would not want to find one's self in opposition with. She was an advocate for equality for many, many years, and was politically active throughout most of her life. Her words will hopefully be forever immortalized in the writings on her blog, as well as in Letters to the Editor that you can find by performing a Google web search on her name.
Ingrid served as a Co-President of The LOFT: The Gay & Lesbian Community Services Center in White Plains, NY, and also later served as a director on their board. Most recently, she was President of the Hudson Valley chapter of Log Cabin Republicans.
Professionally, Ingrid was most recently employed as Associate Director of Adult Services at PACE University.
There was a time when I counted Ingrid among the closest of my friends. I was instrumental in Ingrid's political conversion as a Republican, and will hold fond memories of her and those times we spent together.
A wake and memorial services are planned.
Rest In Peace, Ingrid. We will miss you!
Peter,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend and loved one Ingrid. I know that there is nothing that my words can do, but just know that I too, have loved and lost, so I understand loss. Know that I am here when you need me, and you know how to reach me.
~~Nalita
Peter - I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Ingrid. This was a beautiful tribute to her.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your friend Peter! None of us have so much family and friens that we can stand to lose anyone.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend. She sounds like an amazing woman who impacted the lives of many.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFurther to my comments of earlier today, I wish to inform you Peter, that in honor of our sister Ingrid and her concern and fears for children, we will open the God's Place - Ingrid E. Barnes Home for Children in Georgia where our older sister JoAnn and I reside.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Judith E. Barnes
At the request of Ingrid's life partner (were New York State to have legalized same-sex marriages, it would have been Ingrid's wife), I have deleted a comment left by Ingrid's sister, Judith, as the comment contained numerous factual inaccuracies about Ingrid, her life, and being an LGBTQ individual in general.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Frank:
ReplyDeleteGood day to you. I have no issue with truth being told about me, but I do have an issue with your making comments as to the "inaccuracies" as you have termed my coments.
You don't have to like me or accept me sir, but you have a public forum that requests comments. I took advantage and made accurate comments about my sister. I think it somewhat bold of you to suggest first of all that I was being inaccurate and then comment further as if my sister were a stranger to me.
Whatever your lifestyle choice is, is your business but I knew my sister for 47 years and I knew her complex nature and I will boldly say, the Ingrid that you knew was a mere fragment of the child and woman that I knew, loved and still love. My father were he alive would say that you have a lot of audacity to comment about me making inaccurate comments about my own sister.
Anyway, I will make no further comments in this forum to you about any of this because to do so would be to lend credence to your assertions and your "inaccuracies" about my sister.
Further, remember this sir, I am not attacking you, but I will not hide from comments made by folks who feel that the world should stand up and make special dispensations because of their lifestyle. As Ingrid once told me "I am sick of gay people comparing being gay to the issue of being black."
If you 'know' that your way is The way, you don't need to justify anything to anyone, including me. Live as you please, I am not your enemy, and if you wish to make me one that's totally on you and even though I don't know you, I would extend warmth and affection to yu if I did. But I will not allow your personal choice in lifestyle to make me feel pigeon-holed to the extent that I refrain from speaking my mind.
Everyone is so politically correct now it's frightening; so those who are gay are out of the closet and everybody else is running scared of stepping on toes and ending up in closets of their own.
I wish you a truly blessed life sir.