Obituary of Barbara Laurence

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the passing on November 30, 2016, of Barbara Jean Laurence (née Rost). She was a daughter, sister, wife, aunt, mother, and grandmother, as well as a kind soul and dear friend to so many. After high school and a period of adding to her family's income through odd jobs, including working at a farm milking cows, she became a ground hostess for Pan American Airways at what is now JFK International Airport. Barbara’s professional career began when she worked as a translator for the American Embassy in Bonn, West Germany. She was subsequently stationed at the American Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. Having had an interest in broadcasting, she was hired by CBS Television in New York City at the top executive level. She met her husband, Michael, while working at CBS. Once married they opened their own motion picture company and produced films with such notables as James Whitmore, Maria Schell, Stuart Whitman, Ely Wallach, Ben Gazzara, and Martti Montonen of Finland. In time, Barbara also went out on her own and launched NDTV (New Directions Through Video), a video production company in the 1970s. In the 1980s, despite her full schedule after her children Erik and Trevor were born, she led the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Committee in bringing such historic guests as former President Jimmy Carter and South African Bishop Desmond Tutu to speak to the congregation. In more recent years, she was active in her community, serving as a New York State poll worker during elections, and as a volunteer English teacher at the Port Washington Public Library, where she helped new arrivals to the country master a foreign tongue. Barbara touched so many lives with her kindness, generosity, and openheartedness. While we wish that she would not have left us so soon, we are fortunate that Barbara was vibrant, cheerful and full of love and life right to the end, and for all of her 81 years. She is survived by her husband Michael, her two sons, Trevor and Erik, and her three grandchildren, Emma, Ian, and Meiling. We will all miss the kindness, grace, light, and love that she brought to this world.