Nettie Barnes Engels

Nettie Barnes Engels, 77, died on September, 7th, 2022 in Asheville, North Carolina. She is survived by her husband, William L. Engels; sons and their wives, Scott William and Phyllis Page Engels of Asheville and David Thomas and Debbie Green Engels of McCall, ID; grandchildren Hannah and Andrew of Asheville and Tristian, Carson, and Ayden of McCall; one brother and his wife John L. and Amanda Barnes of Richmond, VA; one sister Nelle Barnes Shaw of Augusta, GA; and nieces and nephews John L. Barnes and Jennifer Barnes of Richmond, VA. and Stephanie Shaw Stephens and Lee Shaw of Augusta, GA.

Nettie was the daughter of John L. and Edna Plunkett Barnes and was raised in Augusta, GA where she graduated from the Academy of Richmond County, Augusta College (in its first four year class) and attended Georgia Southern College for graduate studies (M.Ed. & Ed.S.).

She taught high school biology at Butler High School in Augusta, GA, at Terry Sanford High School in Fayetteville, NC, and at her beloved Academy of Richmond County before being named as the Assistant Principal there. She was the Principal of South Columbia Elementary School and the Executive Curriculum Director for Columbia County before retiring. During retirement, she was asked to return to serve as Assistant Principal at Stephens Creek Elementary.

Nettie was raised attending Hill Baptist Church in Augusta, GA where she was crowned queen of the Girl’s Auxiliary in 1959. Later, she became a member of First Baptist Church in Augusta where she taught Sunday School, served as a Deacon and Sunday School Director, sang in the Sanctuary Choir of which she was the president for two years, and worked with the youth attending youth camp and choir tours for fifteen years. After their move to Asheville, NC, she and Bill attended First Baptist Church of Asheville where she sang in and was president of the Jubilee Choir and served on the Jubilee planning committee.

She was a member of and past president of a chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Honorary Society of Women Educators. She served for many years as a patient advisor for the Medical College of Georgia where she had been treated for cancer, speaking internationally as an advocate for patient-centered care and serving on the advisory board for the Georgia Cancer Center. In Asheville, Nettie was a member of the Asheville Quilt Guild, creating quilts for family, friends and as gifts to nonprofits in Asheville.

A memorial service will be held in Asheville on the 17th of September at 11:00 AM at the First Baptist Church of Asheville with Reverend Leah Brown and Tim Owings officiating. A Celebration of Life for Nettie will be held at the First Baptist Church in Augusta, GA on Saturday, October 1st.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Nettie’s honor to ABCCM (Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry – www.abccm.org), WNC Bridge Foundation (wncbridge.org) or a local ministry of your choice.