Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith

Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith passed on at age 68 in Washington, D.C. on November 28, 2024, after a lengthy illness. She was the second of two daughters born to William Barr and Pauline Barr, who loved, nurtured, and raised their two daughters in the fear and admonition of the Lord in a Christian home. 

Bonnie Joy received the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior and Lord as a youth. She was an avid follower of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades as a youth, and she subscribed to that organization’s Decision magazine at a young age. At that time, she also became keenly interested in eschatological topics pertaining to the Last Days. In her youth, she loved reading the Gospel of Matthew of the holy Bible. 

Bonnie Joy was multi-talented, showing much giftedness in ballet and tap dancing at a very young age. However, she discovered the flute while she was a student in elementary school, and was found to be quite gifted in music, also. Her family resided in Washington, D.C. and in Prince George’s County, Maryland during the first 12 years of her life before moving to Fauquier County, Virginia. She was a studious and highly talented musician, named to the Virginia Department of Education’s Governor’s Schools program while she was a student at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Virginia. She was also inducted into Who’s Who Among American High School Students owing to her noteworthy achievements in academic and extracurricular activities. 

She won several local and regional music competitions, such as the James A. Bland Competition, as a young flutist, studying the flute privately through her parents’ tireless support, with Wallace Mann, a former principal flutist, of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She was named Best High School Musician of the class of 1974 at Fauquier High School where she was the first flute of the Fauquier High School Band, which won many notable honors at regional music events. Bonnie Joy triumphed in her performances of Mozart’s Concerto in G major, K. 313, for flute and orchestra, Cecile Chaminade’s Concertino for flute and orchestra, and she also delighted in performing both chamber music and orchestral literature. She was accepted at one conservatory, and at two universities before graduating from Fauquier High School in 1974. 

Bonnie Joy graduated with a B.A. in 1978 from Princeton University where she was a creative writing and English major. She also minored in music where she also studied the flute, music theory, composition, and other music-related subjects. She also performed with excellence as the first flutist of the Princeton University Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, she also studied film-making at New York University in New York City. She worked as a diligent professional copywriter in various publishing firms before landing a major position as a copywriter for one of the oldest advertising agencies in the U.S., Benton and Bowles. She also wrote for The New York Times. 

Bonnie Joy was happily married to George Janoff, a professional photographer, until the time of his death in 1984. She continued to write professionally as a free-lance writer in the New York City area. Shortly after the death of her first husband, she moved back to the greater Washington D.C. area.

Bonnie Joy married Edward J. Smith, Executive Director of the D.C. Nurses Association, in 1999. Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith continued to play the flute, and she also remained faithful to the craft of writing. She also composed songs and poetry, and she enjoyed maintaining journals throughout her life. She had a true passion for travel and was most happy by the ocean.

Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith is survived by her husband of 25 years, Edward Smith, Washington, DC; her sister, Pamela T. Barr, Baltimore, Maryland; her mother-in-law, Virginia Smith, Bradenton, Florida; and sisters-in-law, Karen Smith, Donna Hanley, Sarasota, Florida, and Cynthia Smith, Palm Harbor, Florida.  She is also survived by cousins, Brack and wife, Sheila Barr, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Gordon Barr, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; her uncle, Maurice Kilby, Aldie, Virginia; cousins, Kathleen Kilby, Karen Kilby, Aldie, Virginia; and many other cousins, aunts, and uncles. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Pauline Barr, and by her father-in-law, Gordon Smith. 

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 12 noon, at First Baptist Church, 39 Alexandria Pike, Warrenton, Virginia, 20186.  Rev. Dr. Dwayne Brown will officiate. Interment will be at Warrenton Cemetery. In remembrance of Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith and her love for music, the family requests donations be made to the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program. Gifts can be made in memory of Bonnie Joy Barr-Smith at dcyop.org/donate or by clicking on this link. If you wish to mail your donations, please send to D.C. Youth Orchestra Program, P.O. Box 56417 Washington, D.C. 20040.

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