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BORN

1950

DIED

2020

Barbara Tinsley Obituary

Barbara Vaughn Tinsley passed away on May 6, 2020 while with her family, after a ten year battle with frontotemporal degeneration. She was 69 years old.
Barbara was born August 30, 1950, in Bowden, GA. Growing up in Newnan, she only brought home A+ report cards and her brilliance led her to Emory School of Law, graduating with the prestigious Order of the Coif. Barbara served as an Assistant US Attorney before becoming a corporate attorney for Georgia Pacific, Home Depot, and BlueLinx, where she served as General Counsel. ""Your mom was the most brilliant person I ever knew"" is one refrain heard most by her daughters.
Not only whip-smart, Barbara had an extremely giving heart and positive outlook on life. Her laugh was infectious and a hallmark of her vibrant personality. In her 20's, she co-founded the Douglasville Humane Society, finding families for homeless pets. After her mother's retirement, Barbara sent her monthly checks to cover extra expenses and took her on trips near and far. She also gave her husband's new leather gloves to a homeless man with purple fingers in below freezing temperatures in downtown Atlanta. If someone needed help, she would help them.
Barbara's love was greatest for her two daughters Tori and Jackie. She was the best mom ever. Period. She doted on her daughters, making sure they wanted for nothing and always felt loved beyond measure. They hope to be as good a mother to their own children as she was to them.
Barbara's love of her children was almost matched by her passion for her horses. She was an avid equestrian, spending nearly every weekend riding in the North Georgia mountains. Her energy and spirit for life were boundless and only dampened by the onset of dementia.
Barbara is survived by her sisters, Beverly Cavender and Vickie Johnson, and their husbands, Michael Cavender and Al Johnson, brother, Scott Vaughn and his wife, Mitchie Vaughn, daughters, Jackie Kraft and Tori Tinsley and their husbands, Michael Kraft and Matthew Warenzak, three grandsons, Christian and Vaughn Kraft and Callan Warenzak, all whom loved her dearly and will never forget her unconditional love for them.
A private ""Celebration of Life"" will be held at a later date. Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society, Feeding America, and the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 10, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
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5 Entries

Whitney Quin

May 13, 2020

Barbara was truly the best mom. She was a blessing to me, and I am so grateful she loved me almost but not quite as much as Tori and Jackie :) I am thankful for all of the memories. She is unforgettable. Sending lots of love from Florida.

Melodie Ruse

May 13, 2020

Barbara Tinsley was the greatest friend a person could ask for. When I moved to Atlanta more than 20 years ago, she found out I shared her passion for horses and riding. When she learned I was currently horse-less, she immediately offered one of hers. Little did I know we'd be out riding together every weekend for more than a decade!

She not only shared her love of horses in those countless hours in the saddle, but her love of life (and her amazing sense of humor!), her love of her daughters and family, and her boundless knowledge of business. I can never say enough about the joy this woman brought to my life.

I know Barbara's in heaven, and that she's brightening God's day right now!

Janice Anderson Ridge

May 13, 2020

From elementary school through HS.. Barbara was my friend... My sincerest condolences to the family...

Jane Duenckel

May 12, 2020

I was so sorry to read about my high school classmates death. Barbara was indeed brilliant, classy, and jolly as I recollect. I will remember her special laughter. Blessings to her family. Jane Wynne Duenckel. NHS class of 1968

Holly Chase

May 11, 2020

Aunt Vickie, Leigh, Lindsay and Paige, I am so sorry. Prayers for all of you.

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