John H Barry

Surrounded by his six children, John Barry completed his life's journey May 24, 2019, at the age of 87.  He grew up in Warren, Rhode Island.  John was the only child of Bertha (Pinkos) and John Barry.  Following the death of his mother, John's aunt raised him and made it possible for him to attend college. As a gifted athlete, John played high school varsity baseball and basketball for three years.  After high school, John made the cut at a St. Louis Cardinals try-out camp, but elected to pursue his education at Bryant College.

In 1950, John met Helen Ferschke at a dance, and she became the love of his life.  They married in 1954 after he completed his education and service in the Marine Corps.  Being an only child, having his parents separate at an early age and losing his mother in his teen years, John longed to create a strong close-knit family of his own. And that he did. John and Helen had 7 children:  Patty (Mike Melcher), Mike (Nancy), Mary (who died at birth), Jack (Kathy Malone), Tom (Lynley), Kathy Bryden (Rob) and Colleen Sherman (Steve).

As a lifelong learner, John also placed an emphasis on exposing his children to cultural and educational experiences.  He was proud of his children's educational and professional accomplishments but took greater delight in seeing them in their roles as parents as that large family he wanted grew in size.  John so enjoyed watching his grandchildren, Tom, Kristen (Mike), Kyle, Garrett (Sarah), Alexandra (Brunno), Jacquelyn, Riley, MacCulley, Olivia, Bennett, Matthew, Marybeth, Taylor, and Samantha, grow up and share in so many of their special moments.

John's career in real estate and banking relocated the family many times before settling in Ann Arbor, MI as Vice President of Mortgage Lending at Huron Valley National Bank.  John was active in the community by coaching little league baseball, participating in the Pioneer High School football booster club, serving as president of the Kiwanis Club and being an active member of Saint Francis of Assisi Church.  John developed a strong passion for the University of Michigan athletics and remained a loyal fan always wearing his block M hats and shirts and catching every game in person or on TV.

In 1986, John's next professional move took him and Helen to Florida.  John enjoyed a 12-year career as Vice President of Commercial Lending at both Barnett Bank and Bank of America.  In Florida he remained active with the Chamber of Commerce , Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and the Knights Of Columbus.  After retirement, he and Helen traveled extensively and went on numerous cruises.  They enjoyed ballroom dancing immensely.

In 2010, John's beloved Helen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and they eventually moved to the John Knox Village in Orange City, FL.  John's devotion to Helen was ever apparent as he helped her through each phase of Alzheimer's.  Until her death in 2017, John loved Helen as if they were still newlyweds, showering her with hugs, kisses and stories of their 63-year marriage.

John's commitment to remain active, meet new people, and experience new things was present to the end. He traveled to Europe last summer and a few weeks prior to his death, he went on an Honor Flight to Washington, DC for Korean War Veterans.  Next to God and his family, John deeply loved his country.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor on July 13, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation at 10:00 a.m.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Bo Schembechler Heart of a Champion Research Fund.  Checks may be made payable to the University of Michigan and sent to Medical Development, 1000 Oakbrook, Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 or visit the website victors.us/johnbarry.

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