Barbara A. Atkin

Barbara A. Atkin, a 46-year resident of Washington, DC, died on October 13, 2023, at The Clare in Chicago, IL, after a long struggle with breast cancer. A graduate of Swarthmore College (BA '71) and the University of Virginia School of Law (JD '75), Barbara initially worked at the National Labor Relations Board in the Division of Advice, where she met her future husband, John Hornbeck. Barbara transferred to the Appellate Court Branch, Division of Enforcement Litigation, in 1980 and then joined the General Counsel's Office of the National Treasury Employees Union in 1990. Her best professional memory is sitting at counsel table at the Supreme Court during oral argument in US v. NTEU, which reinforced the First Amendment rights of federal employees. Barbara retired in 2012 as Deputy General Counsel and immediately started volunteering at the Supreme Court as a docent. When Barbara was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2021, she and John moved permanently to their second home in Chicago to be near their son Richard (Rick) Hornbeck and his family. There they plunged into grandkid activities, to their great pleasure.

Barbara is survived by her husband John, their son Rick and his wife Anjali Adukia and children Kairav and Ashiyana, as well as by John's daughter Stacey Hornbeck of Oswego, NY, and son Dennis Hornbeck of Sandy Creek, NY. She is also survived by her sister, Theresa (Terry) Atkin of Connecticut and NY, Terry's husband Dirk Kramer, and their daughter and Barbara's goddaughter Annie Atkin Kramer.

There will be no service. At some point the family plans to hold a virtual and in-person gathering to remember Barbara. In lieu of flowers, Barbara requested that interested friends donate books to a library, school, literacy nonprofit, or younger relatives and friends. As E.B. White wrote, "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer." Like Charlotte, Barbara was both.