Barbara Emily Dame Houze, Atlanta-born singer and longtime Shallowford volunteer, dies at 87

Barbara Emily Dame Houze, an Atlanta native who sang with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and volunteered for years at Shallowford Presbyterian Church, died Aug. 21, 2026, in Wake Forest/Raleigh, North Carolina. She was 87.

Houze was born in Atlanta on March 27, 1939, and graduated with a degree in music education in 1960 from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, according to an obituary published Aug. 30, 2026. Her early career included teaching elementary music and performing with the Houston Opera while living in Texas. She later lived in the Netherlands and Lafayette, Indiana, before returning to Atlanta in 1995 to be near family.

During her years in metro Atlanta, Houze was active at Shallowford Presbyterian Church, where she sang in the choir and organized a seniors group for community outings. She also participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. service choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church and volunteered as a spokesperson for LifeLink, the obituary says.

Houze sang with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus for many years; highlights listed in published notices include performances tied to the 1996 Summer Olympics, concerts at Carnegie Hall and in Berlin, and singing at the funeral for Coretta Scott King. Two recordings on which she performed received Grammy awards. In later years she moved to the Raleigh area and helped form a residents’ choir at Verena at Bedford Falls.

She is survived by her children, Laura Miteff Houze of Lafayette, Indiana, and Richard Houze of Wake Forest, North Carolina, and by grandchildren Kennedy, Evan and Troy. The family has said a memorial service will be held in Atlanta at a later date and that Houze will be interred in the Memorial Garden at Shallowford Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shallowford Presbyterian Church.

Sources: Legacy.com obituary (published Aug. 30, 2026): https://www.legacy.com/legacy/barbara-houze and related obituary listing via Journal & Courier/Legacy.com.