This was read at Bob Barrett's funeral and will give you a sense of who Bob was:

Everything I am sharing here today is from the hearts of the family. To try to define Bob --- Husband, Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle, and to many simply the Big “R” is impossible.

Its was never about what he
Had, it is about what he could give or how he could share. For him “it was never about me, it was always about WE.” Bob always watched out for everyone. Family first and then beyond, never asking what’s in it for me. He lived large and had a heart the size of a house. Like a house he would build for many a friend. He built neighborhoods, homes, houses for families. His life was like a neighbor hood party where everyone was welcome. If you needed a job he had a company you could work for; if you had a dream he wanted to help; if you had a problem or a need it was also his.


Bob was a “doer”, as in always getting things done. He could walk into a room and find three things that needed to be done and then he would find the three people that should do them. This “doer” personality led to many entrepreneurial endeavors, to say Bob was an entrepreneur would be an understatement. He could have authored a book on how start a company in 20 or so Different fields because he did. Bobs life was always exciting, never boring or Typical, if he thought of something he wanted to do he did it. If he wanted to build a car, fly planes, race a car or boat he did.
Bob was a leader if others thought it was impossible he knew he was on the right track at least for him.
Many of these businesses are still thriving today. The longest has been 46 years and the shortest venture was the race horse that died at the end of its first race.

He groomed his own path blazed his own trail. Bobs successes are easy to see, but most of all the biggest and most important was not one which beared a company name but a family name. Our father was like his
Father and their were none better. There motto give, give, and give some more. When you speak the name Barrett it was planted like a seed at birth and grew from there. Our father’s character had roots that ran deep, what others thought of as special or generous was second nature to him. His life is the example by which others can use to measure success. He expected you to
work hard he expecting nothing less than a job well done. He was always willing to share his opinion with you, Never doubting that his was the right one.

It wasn’t always about work for the Big R, entertaining was also important Bob loved to entertain. But everyone knows that the person that pulled it together was his wife Mary Ann (Mare). How she accomplished all this while raising six children, is amazing. When you look up the word multi-tasking in the dictionary you see a picture of Mary Ann, and next to that is a picture of Bob pointing to the things he wants done.
He always made sure everyone had a great time, whether that was making sure every belly was full at a backyard cookout, or tucking a $20 bill into one of the grandkids pockets or making sure that even an unexpected guest at his Christmas parties went home with a gift. His generosity knew no bounds. He didn’t just get people the perfect gift; he tried to make their dreams possible.

That was how he hugged us.

When he entertained, he did it one way, Big. Not for himself, but to make sure no one was left out.
Bob wanted you to be happy, he wanted to make you smile, and that is how he got filled up by making others happy. Bob was a people pleaser and no one did it better. His occupation could have been confused with that of a party planner, a tour guide and a resort owner. If you judged a man by what he did for others Bob would have a blue ribbon we all know
how Bob liked to win.


Bob had alot to offer and he never stopped sharing. All he wanted from you was a smile, a note that said you had a great time or your name in his guest book! If you went to dinner with him you almost had to be a magician to pick up the check. Bob managed to bring getting the check to an art form Michael Angelo would be proud of.




Certainly, nothing was more important to him than the love of his life Mary Ann, his wife of 51 years. She was his true companion in all things. She was the organizer of his many parties, the expediter of his generosity, his partner in raising their six children, and the person responsible for keeping batteries around for all those flashlights.

The moments they shared were tender, kind, funny, and endearing to all that got to witness their relationship.
A good number of your lives were touched by our father, his reach was long and his heart was big.
He loved all of you .. I will say it for him! Our father lived without limits he believed in the impossible and he made countless dreams a reality for so many. We will miss him deeply and speak of him fondly and pray to him often.