Barbara Hunter Heitzenroder

Barbara Hunter Heitzenroder died in Atlanta, GA on Monday, October 2, 2023. Formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, she and her husband relocated to be closer to their daughter and her family.
Born September 4, 1944, she was the only child of George Miller Hunter and Mary Richardson Hunter, respectively of Beaver and Beaver Falls, PA. Barbara is survived by her husband, David August Heitzenroder, her daughter, Christine (David) Quillian, and granddaughters – Catherine, Elizabeth, and Margaret Quillian.
Raised in Youngstown, OH, Barbara was a 1962 graduate of The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA. She went on to attend Bennett College in Millbrook, NY and completed her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966.
After college, Barbara worked in the trust department of Continental Bank in Chicago. Drawn to investment work, she joined Hornblower & Weeks, then one of the largest retail investment brokerage firms in the nation. In 1971, she married John Behrend; they lived in Chicago and had one child, Christine.
Known professionally as Barbara Behrend, she was one of the country’s first Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) practitioners. She resisted the term stockbroker and considered herself a financial planner. Over time and persisting through many acquisitions, her employers included Shearson Lehman Brothers, Citicorp, and Salomon Smith Barney.
Her full-time professional career continued despite being diagnosed in her early 30s with narcolepsy + cataplexy. A chronic sleep disorder requiring heavy medication and therapeutic naps, narcolepsy disables many people who suffer from it. Barbara never allowed this condition to define her.
Partly as a tool to fight off sleep-attacks, Barbara was an avid knitter, and in retirement dove into quilting. Combining colors was a captivating exercise for Barbara, and she shared her work at shows in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Later in life, she delighted in needlepoint and playing bridge.
Barbara served many organizations whose work was meaningful to her. In Pittsburgh, she was an active member of The Pittsburgh Golf Club; President of the Narcolepsy Network; Trustee of The Ellis School; member of the Advisory Board of the Carlow College Campus School; Trustee of the Pitcairn-Crabbe Foundation; Treasurer of the Perennial Garden Club; member of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists); and an Elder, Deacon, Trustee and Stephen Minster at Shadyside Presbyterian Church.
Building on her client service experiences, Barbara’s curious mind, forthright and sometimes feisty demeanor made her a much-loved mother, spouse, and a good and loyal friend to many people.
Memorial services for Barbara will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on Tuesday, November 7 at 3pm and at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Barbara’s memory to The Narcolepsy Network (narcolepsynetwork.org) or The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (theaftd.org).