Barbara Ann Harper was born on June 28, 1950, to the late Lena Jones Harper and Charles Harper in Greenville, South Carolina. She was an avid traveler and was known as “The World Traveler” traveling to countries to visit historical sites to live among the people in their villages and eat their food. On November 10, 2025, Barbara departed this life at her home in McDonough, Ga. She was preceded in death by her loving parents Lena and Charles Haper and her brother James Harper.

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Barbara received her formal education at Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, NY and graduated in 1967. She late matriculated at Kings County Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her Nursing Diploma in 1973. Later, she received her master’s degree in nursing from Long Island University in 1990. Barbara proudly received her Honorary Doctorate degree in Humanitarianism from Global Internation Alliance on August 2025.

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Barbara began her Nursing career in 1973, at Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY where she worked as Head Nurse in the Addiction unit until leaving in 1986. She transitioned to I.S. 302 Middle School, Brooklyn, NY where she served as the school’s Registered Nurse Case Manager for the Special Needs Department until retiring in 2010.

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In 1986, Barbara was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Nursing Army Corp. Her specialty while serving was a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse and a Medical Surgical Nurse. She served in the 344th Combat Support Hospital and deployed abroad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served two tours in Germany.

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Her awards were numerous, Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Medal w/M Device (2nd Award), Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award), Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (5th Award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and Army Reserve Ribbon. Barbara served this great nation honorably for 24 years before retiring as Lieutenant Colonel in 2010.

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She leaves behind to treasure her memories her loving son Rashad Everett; daughter Tamara Thompsong, brother Keith Harper, brother in law Arthur Thompson, Aunts Mammie Jones and Cathy Jones, her adoring grandchildren Chandler, Izayah, Nevaeh, Izrael and Caleb Everett, Dominque McKinnon. Nieces Mariam and Latoya Harper, nephews Bandon, Jabbar, James, Rahmel Harper and a host of other loving relatives, and close friends, Debra Gomes, Carol Barnes, Annette Tucker Osborne. Paulette Williams, Cheryl Adams, Grace Robinson.