Mildred Mae "Millie" Marshall Barbee

Mildred (Millie) Mae Marshall Barbee, 83, of Hickory, passed away on May 14, 2024, at Trinity Village in Hickory, NC following several years of declining health. 

Millie was born in Surry County on December 21, 1940, to the late Carl Spencer Marshall and Percy Conway Lawrence Marshall.  She grew up in the White Plains community, graduating from White Plains High School.  She attended and graduated from Guilford College with a degree in History and a minor in Economics and Education. 

While in college at Guilford, she met Audrey Thomas (A.T.) Barbee, Jr and they were married on August 19, 1961, and had a very happy marriage of 48 years until his death in 2009.  They both enjoyed bird watching, hiking, traveling and spending time with family.  Their greatest joy in life was spending time with their daughter and two granddaughters. 

Millie began her career teaching history in the Guilford County School System, then later worked in the Burke County School System when they moved to Morganton, NC.  In 1982, she began a career in historic preservation and restoration with the Historic Burke Foundation in Morganton.  She won the prestigious Antionette Forrester Downing Award of the National Society of Architectural Historians for Excellence in Published Architectural Surveys in 1988, from the publication of Historic Burke, An Architectural History of Burke County.  In 2007, she received the Bill Sharpe Award for Outstanding Service from the North Carolina Tourism Industry Association and the Christopher Crittendon Award from the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association for her contributions to the preservation of NC history.  In 2009, she was honored with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award by Governor Beverly Perdue.  She served on many boards over her career, most notably with the NC National Register Advisory Committee, the North Carolina Travel Council, the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, NC Division of Archives and History, and HandMade in America.  

Millie is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” Barbee Shronce of Hickory, and two granddaughters, Katherine Shronce Field (Benjamin) of Cary, NC, and Anna Elizabeth Shronce of Roanoke, VA.  In addition to her parents, Millie was preceded in death by her husband, Audrey Thomas (A.T.) Barbee Jr., and her brother, Harvey Thomas (Tom) Marshall in 2020. 

A memorial service in the Quaker tradition will be held at 2:00 pm, May 18, 2024, at White Plains Friends Meeting, followed by a graveside service in the White Plains Friends Cemetery, and then fellowship with family and friends.  The Meeting House is in the White Plains community near Mount Airy.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on May 18, 2024, at the White Plains Friends Meeting prior to the memorial service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to White Plains Friends Meeting Cemetery Fund, 849 Old Hwy 601, Mt. Airy, NC 27030 or Trinity Village, 1265 21^st St NE, Hickory, NC 28601. 

Moody Funeral Service of Mount Airy will assist with the burial.  Online condolences may be made at www.moodyfuneralservices.com.