Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

August 5, 2023

Agnes Barden Sabiston, known to all as Aggie, died peacefully on August 5, 2023. Aggie was born August 19, 1933 in New Bern, North Carolina, the daughter of Congressman Graham Arthur Barden and Agnes Foy Barden.

Raised in New Bern, her fondest memories are of days spent hunting and fishing with her father and older brother, boating and water skiing with her friends on the Trent River, helping her mother entertain countless friends and neighbors with the warmest of Southern hospitality, picking strawberries in her garden to make money to buy a horse, taking long rides on that horse she named Sport Model and spending lazy afternoons reading to her grandmother in the swing on her front porch.

Aggie graduated from New Bern High School, spent her freshman year at Sweet Briar College and then transferred to and graduated from Goucher College. While at Goucher, she met a young Army officer, Dr. David Coston Sabiston, Jr. who became her husband of 54 years.

She and Dave Sabiston married in September 1955 and settled in Baltimore. They had three daughters there before moving to Durham, North Carolina in 1964. In Durham, Aggie hosted countless dinners and parties, entertaining visiting physicians as well as the physicians, residents and medical students in the Department of Surgery at Duke where her husband served as chair. Her genuine warmth and grace made each guest feel welcomed and special. She was a true giver and took her greatest pleasure from doing for others. Her annual Christmas parties continue to be a legend at Duke Medical Center. And their many friends enjoyed the plates of cookies and fruit cakes not to mention rum cakes every Christmas.

Aggie enjoyed traveling, first with her parents to Europe shortly after WWII. She would often recount stories from that trip including a harrowing landing in the fog during the Berlin airlift. She then lived in Cambridge and London for a year with her husband and daughters. And in later years she and her mother loved traveling to Scotland. She always enjoyed her annual ski trips to Vail. She also loved the family beach trip with the grandchildren where countless wonderful memories were made. She spent many hours on the beach casting with a spinning rod. Her grandsons are avid fishermen to this day.

Above and beyond all, Aggie was dedicated to her three daughters. She understood Dave's demanding schedule and embraced raising her girls. Her days often revolved around carpooling to various schools, watching ballet and gymnastics, and cheering at all basketball, volleyball, field hockey, and lacrosse games. Aggie shared her love of horses, and ultimately built a small stable to care for the six ponies and horses her girls enjoyed over the years. She trailered to horse shows, spent many hours caring for the horses, and worked in her garden at the stable with the girls and their friends. At home, Aggie was a beautiful seamstress-- creating dresses, cheerleading uniforms, costumes, and even nine bridesmaid's dresses for Agnes's wedding. She taught the value of learning how to do things on your own, the joy of sharing with others, and the importance of love and security. Later in life, whenever asked, Aggie found time to babysit her grandchildren, share her stories, and affectionately pass her values to the next generation.

Surviving Aggie are her three daughters, Anne Sabiston Leggett and husband Reid of Charlotte, Agnes Sabiston Butler of Roaring Gap and Sarah Coston Sabiston of Tryon. Her loving grandchildren are David Sabiston Butler and wife Lydia of New Orleans, William Medearis Butler and wife Kelsey of Charlotte, Carter Paton Leggett and wife Meghan of Houston, Sarah Venable Litt and husband Alex of San Francisco and Andrew Reid Leggett and wife Blake of Montclair. She also has nine great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, Congressman and Mrs. Graham Arthur Barden and her brother Dr. Graham Arthur Barden, Jr. of New Bern, her husband Dr. David Coston Sabiston, Jr. of Durham and her son-in-law Albert Louis Butler III of Roaring Gap.

The family is most grateful to all the caregivers and especially to Glendene Hylton, Daniris Fuentes, Judy Richards and Donna King who lovingly accompanied Aggie these past several years. Her home on Cottage Place was always filled with movies, art projects, music and laughter. And from her chair on the front porch she would flash her beautiful smile to every neighbor passing by.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Memory & Movement Charlotte, 411 Billingsley Road, Suite 103, Charlotte, N.C., 28211. A family service will be held in her beloved hometown of New Bern.