Barbara Unger Arant's Obituary
Barbara Ann Unger Arant, age 85, died peacefully, surrounded by family, at her home in Easton Maryland, on June 17, 2025 - reuniting with her beloved husband Bill on their 64th wedding anniversary.
Raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in Federalsburg, Barbara grew up both a small-town girl (where she dressed up her cat, put him in a baby carriage, and strolled him a few blocks into "downtown" for an ice cream cone) and a farm girl (where she picked vegetables, learned to drive a tractor, and stabled her own horse).
She left Maryland for Durham, North Carolina, to attend Duke University's School of Nursing. There, she met her future husband, Williams (Bill) Edward Arant, Jr. After first capturing her heart with his singing, they married in 1961, 10 days after Barbara graduated with her BSN, beginning their new life in Charlotte, North Carolina where both of their children were born. They returned to Durham, where Barbara spent several years working as a nurse at Duke Hospital, and spent time in Winston-Salem, North Carolina before moving to New Orleans, Louisiana and eventually to Knoxville, Tennessee where they lived for 40 years. In 2019, Barbara returned to the Eastern Shore with Bill - this time to Easton.
With a strong sense of the importance of giving back to her community, Barbara served on the board of several Knoxville organizations, including the University of Tennessee Veterinary School of Medicine, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and the St. Mary's Foundation. She also served as President of the East Tennessee Historical Society and was a member of the Knoxville Garden Club. She had a special place in her heart for the Knoxville Zoo and chaired the "Zoofari" Fundraising Committee.
Barbara treasured her long-held friendships, loved a beautifully set table, knew how to decorate with a flourish at Christmas time and for all sorts of events, excitedly welcomed her children's and grandchildren's friends into her home, loved working the crossword and playing cards, and had a fun, gracious, and sometimes mischievous spirit.
Barbara is survived by her son Williams Edward Arant III; daughter Jenifer Arant Mudd; son-in-law Shannon Brett Mudd; grandchildren Savannah and Jordan Mudd; nephews Vernon Edwin Unger III (Su) and Scott Unger (Anna Marie); her "angel in a kitty cat suit" Charlie; and a plethora of treasured friends with whom she stayed in very close contact over the years. She was predeceased by her husband Bill, her father and mother, Vernon Edwin Unger, Sr. and Ida Marie Nagel, as well as her brother Vernon Edwin Unger, Jr.
A graveside service for family and friends will be held at Hillcrest Cemetery in Federalsburg, MD on Saturday, June 21st at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Barbara's honor to the Knoxville Zoological Society (https://www.zooknoxville.org/donate/tribute-giving/).
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