Robert James Barry, long-time resident of Glen Rock, NJ, passed peacefully, surrounded by family, on December 4, 2022. Beloved husband of Joyce Tietjen (deceased), and devoted father of Robert Jr. of Glen Rock, David (deceased), Sean of Glen Rock, and Kevin and his wife, Maureen, of Highlands, NJ.
Born in Jersey City, NJ on December 24, 1933, Robert (“Bob”) James Barry, son of William and Mary Lynch Barry, was the youngest of four. His siblings, William, Margaret Callahan and Kathleen McDonald, predeceased him. Bob was a beloved uncle to all his nieces and nephews.
Bob was a US Marine, enlisting and serving in the Corps which provided the opportunity to be stationed in Hawaii which started a love affair with the Islands. When Sgt. Barry was honorably discharged, he returned home to marry his lifelong love, Joyce. Bob and Joyce raised their sons in Glen Rock, becoming active members of the local community.
The Barry family became huge fans of Glen Rock High School (GRHS) soccer, with all three sons playing and Bob leading the sidelines coaching section. Loudly! And Bob will always be remembered for having the loudest laugh in any room, always. And that was a great aide to Joyce who could always find him in the crowd when she heard his laugh. He also volunteered as a coach for the Glen Rock Town Soccer League leading to a few Championship seasons.
Ever the soccer fan, with season tickets to the Cosmos, when Pele was their star, Bob brought the family to the Meadowlands on numerous occasions, including Pele’s last game, a fond family memory.
Bob took advantage of the GI bill to attend St. Peter’s College, graduating in 1961 and becoming a tax accountant. Bob enjoyed a successful professional life, and finished his career with more than 35 years in Texaco’s tax department, culminating in his role as General Manager and then Senior Tax Adviser.
Robert Barry remained a strong and supportive St. Peter’s alumnus throughout his life. In the 2000s, he led a volunteer fundraising committee aiding the St. Peter’s Development team in raising enough money to build the new Student Center. Bob’s devotion to St. Peter’s, now a University, found a partial payoff in March of 2022 when the nation rallied to support his Peacocks in their bid to win the NCAA Championships. They may not have won the basketball tournament, but they won Bob’s heart before they ever hit the court.
Bob was a devout Catholic and member of St. Catharine Roman Catholic Church in Glen Rock.
His faith was very important to him and core to how he lived his life. He was one of a group of contributors who recently purchased new stained glass for the doors at the Church.
After retiring, Bob regularly participated in the Activities Club in Glen Rock and most recently served as Sergeant at Arms. Always the Marine, Bob led annual Toys for Tots campaigns for Texaco in Westchester County NY, even after retiring. Semper Fi.
One of his greatest passions was his photography. He had an excellent eye for beauty and particularly enjoyed photographing the beaches of Long Beach Island, and of course, Hawaii.
His beautiful work will always be treasured by his family.
After retiring Bob and Joyce enjoyed traveling to Hawaii many times to revisit his favorite paradise, even renewing their wedding vows for their 25th anniversary in Maui. They enjoyed theatre, visiting Broadway and off-Broadway often and always caught a show in London when traveling overseas.
Joyce and Bob never missed an opportunity to enrich their lives with music, attending concerts regularly, from Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra to seeing the Rolling Stones with their sons. How could you ask for better parents?
Robert and Joyce Barry began their epic love affair years before they married. We take comfort knowing they are together again, dancing eternity away, as only our Mother would have it. With a kind and generous heart, and a great sense of humor, Dad touched so many lives and was loved by all who had the good fortune to have known him.
We will miss him terribly.
We welcome friends and family to visit with us and remember Dad at the Vander Plaat Colonial Home in Fair Lawn, NJ on Friday, December 9th, between 4 and 8 pm.
The funeral mass and Dad’s life will be celebrated at St. Catharine Church in Glen Rock at 10 am on Saturday, December 10th.