Dr. Barbara Anne DeConcini

DeConcini Dr. Barbara Anne Educator and nonprofit leader, died February 24, 2026, at age 82. Born February 15, 1944, in West Philadelphia, she graduated from West Catholic Girls High School and joined the Society of the Holy Child Jesus at 18. During her years in the order, she taught in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. She earned a B.A. from Rosemont College and an M.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, later serving as Assistant Dean at Rosemont. After moving to Atlanta in 1974 to pursue doctoral studies at Emory University, she left religious life and married Dr. Walter Lowe in 1979. She received her Ph.D. in Literature and Theology in 1980. Her scholarship reflected an enduring fascination with narrative, language, symbol, and time, questions she explored in her writing on religion and the arts. She taught at the Atlanta College of Art and became its Dean in 1986, helping guide the institution to renewed accreditation, financial stability, and increased enrollment. In 1991, Dr. DeConcini became the first female Executive Director of the American Academy of Religion. During her 15-year tenure, membership grew from approximately 6,000 to more than 11,000, and the Academy's annual meeting became one of the largest gatherings of scholars of religion in the world. She strengthened partnerships with the Society of Biblical Literature, secured foundation support for a permanent headquarters at Emory University, and expanded the Academy's publishing relationship with Oxford University Press. She also held leadership roles within the American Council of Learned Societies. After retiring in 2006, she returned to Philadelphia with her husband and became involved with Friends in the City (FitC), a Quaker-inspired organization that promotes cultural and other activities for older adults, where she went on to become one of its most successful leaders and teachers. She also remained very active in philanthropic and educational work, serving Rosemont College, Catholics for Choice, the Providence Center in Philadelphia, and the Casa Cornelia Law Center in San Diego. Dr. DeConcini was devoted to teaching, scholarship, social justice, and the arts. She loved literature and film, singing and dancing, and cherished time in Paris with her husband. She had a special affection for the Bichon Frises she and Walt adopted over the years. She was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Walter Lowe; her parents, Anne DeConcini, née Farrell, and Edwin DeConcini; her siblings, Sister Anne DeConcini, RSM, and Mary DeConcini Ewen; and her godmother, June DeConcini Freeman. She is survived by her nephews, Colin and Quinn Ewen; her goddaughter, Catherine Dillard; and many cousins and close friends. A Memorial Service will be held this spring at Christ Church in Philadelphia. Inquiries may be sent to warren.frisina@hofstra.edu