Katherine Holt Barnes passed away peacefully in Tiger, Oct. 10, 2021, at the age of 80.
She was born in West Hartford, Connecticut to Guy and Helen Holt. Kathy and her twin sister Penny were the youngest of five children. She attended Middlebury College, graduated from Syracuse University, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in marriage and family counseling from the University of Georgia.
A lifelong writer, avid reader, woman of faith in Jesus Christ, and lover of the natural world, Kathy spent her adulthood prior to living in Rabun County in Lima, Peru, Syracuse, New York, and Augusta. She was passionate about special needs education and development, successfully working towards mainstreaming handicapped children in public education and teaching at the American School for the Deaf. Kathy published books and articles on the complexities of parenting a special needs child and also wrote and published poetry and a novel.
Kathy’s intelligence and heart for helping others led her to the field of marriage and family counseling. With young children and a husband in politics, she made the sacrifice to drive multiple times a week from Augusta to Athens to complete her Ph.D. She then used her God-given gifts of empathy and a calm demeanor to counsel those in crises. Kathy and her husband of 42 years, Travis Barnes (passed on Oct. 6, 2017) moved to Atlanta in 1988, where she continued her counseling practice.
Upon Travis’ retirement in 1993, Kathy and Travis moved to the community of Tiger in the north Georgia mountains where they resided for the last 25 years, first at Covecrest and later at Cannonwood. Kathy continued to assist the community with her counseling skills, as she and Travis stayed active hiking, visiting children and grandchildren, and becoming pillars of the North Georgia community. Kathy wrote a weekly advice column for The Clayton Tribune for many years.
Kathy is survived by her, children, Cristina Berg McGarr, Katherine Berg, Edward Berg (Jody), Stan (Tenley), and Bearden (Jill); 12 grandchildren, Smith, Sarah and Allie McGarr, Cora, Charis, and Amara Berg, Travis and Colson Barnes, Bearden, Benjamin, Cecilia and Lily Barnes.
The family is grateful to the many loving caregivers at Cannonwood and Hospice who worked with Kathy over these last years. Memorial gifts may be made to Habitat for Humanity of Rabun County or the charity of your choice. On Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, a celebration of life will be held at Cannonwood Living Center in Tiger, at noon with a reception to follow.