A Legacy of Learning, Love,
& Helping Others
The Barbara Zirkin Foundation was created to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Barbara G. Zirkin and to carry forward the values that defined her life: family, education, compassion, community, and service to others.
Today, her legacy lives on by helping families facing lung caner find support during some of life's most difficult moments.
Who was Barbara Zirkin?
Barbara Zirkin spent her life making a difference in the lives of others.
An educator at heart, Barbara devoted more than four decades to academia. She earned her doctorate in education from Johns Hopkins University and served in teaching and leadership roles throughout her career, including positions at Randallstown High School, Stevenson University, Baltimore Hebrew University, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
She believed deeply in the power of education and in helping people reach their potential. Whether she was teaching students, developing new educational programs, mentoring others, or bringing people together, Barbara approached her work with enthusiasm, creativity, and a genuine desire to make an impact.
Her commitment to helping others extended well beyond the classroom. Barbara served on the board of Civic Works, supporting its work to strengthen Baltimore communities through education, service, and skill development. She was known as someone who was eager to get involved, full of ideas, and gifted at connecting people.
But for all she accomplished professionally, Barbara's greatest joy was her family.
She and her husband, Dr. Barry Zirkin, shared more than five decades together after meeting during their freshman year of college. Barbara treasured time with her sons and daughters-in-law and especially loved being a grandmother to Talia, Johah, Sophie, and Emma.
She also loved reading, traveling, singing with the Beth El Choir, and simply being surrounded by people she loved.
Turning Loss into Support for Others
Barbara passed away in June 2019 after facing lung cancer.
Her family created the Barbara Zirkin Foundation as a way to transform that loss into something meaningful for other families experiencing the fear, uncertainty, and challenges that can accompany a lung cancer diagnosis.
The Foundation raises funds to provide meaningful assistance to families affected by lung cancer, helping ease some of the burdens that can arise while a loved one is undergoing treatment.
Because when a family is facing cancer, they should be able to focus on what matters most: being together.
Carrying Barbara's Legacy Forward
The work of the Barbara Zirkin Foundation is about more than remembering one extraordinary woman. It is about continuing the way she lived.
Barbara taught.
She encouraged.
She connected people.
She cared deeply about her community.
And above all, she loved her family.
Through the Foundation, those values continue to reach new families. Every fundraiser, partnership, donation, and act of generosity helps turn Barbara's legacy into tangible support for someone navigating lung cancer.
Helping Families. Honoring a Legacy.
Creating Hope.
Cancer changes life in an instant, but families do not have to face it alone.
By supporting the Barbara Zirkin Foundation, you become part of a community committed to standing beside families affected by lung cancer and helping make an incredibly difficult journey a little easier.
Together, we can honor Barbara's life by continuing what she did so naturally throughout hers: helping others.
Join us in carrying Barbara's legacy forward.