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The N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund received a substantial gift from Barbara Rose McIntyre, who passed away in July 2019.

McIntyre loved children, nature and the state of North Carolina. As she neared the end of her life, she took steps to make a final gift to the children and people of North Carolina. Her gift of more than $1million to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund will be directed to projects including restoration, education, and accessibility for children.

“One of the goals of N.C. State Parks is to instill in every child a lifelong appreciation for nature,” said Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “This incredibly generous gift will greatly benefit the children of North Carolina, helping to foster meaningful experiences in nature that are destined to become cherished memories.”

A gift of $500,000 will support the restoration of Vade Mecum, a beloved children’s camp for many years and a state historic landmark at Hanging Rock State Park. An additional gift of $250,000 will establish an endowment for environmental education in the state parks, and a third gift of $250,000 will support matching grants to local parks that benefit children of all abilities.

“We are so appreciative of these deeply meaningful gifts to the people of North Carolina,” said Neal Lewis, chair of the Parks and Recreation Authority, which administers the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. “Barbara McIntyre’s love of children and nature and her generosity of spirit will live on through her gifts, which will benefit North Carolinians for generations to come.”

McIntyre was born in 1928 and grew up in Goldsboro. She attended the city’s public schools and obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She passed away on July 22, 2019. She was a longtime resident of Raleigh and had deep connections from the coast to the mountains of North Carolina.

She was a career employee of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and dedicated her life to the welfare of children and families in North Carolina. McIntyre was recognized by the Elon Homes for Children for 17 years of service as Program Consultant to that facility. In 1984, her lifetime of service to the quality of life for children and families was recognized by her designation as an Allen Keith-Lucas Friend of Children by the North Carolina Child Care Association. Her career culminated in her induction into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. James G. Martin.

McIntyre relished her deep roots in the state of North Carolina. She loved to spend her days showing the birds to the neighborhood children, planning trips to see tundra swans, doing her own yard work, or attending a lecture at an elderhostel.

About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 234,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.