Winston J. Barr, 83, of Melbourne, FL passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Born on January 26, 1936 in Larned, KS to Walter Joseph Barr and Margaret Mast Barr, his life was one of faith, family, farming, and service to his country.
Winston began his life during the Great Dust Bowl. He learned the value of hard work and responsibility in his early life during the many hours he worked sowing and harvesting wheat for his father on the family farm in Kansas. As a labor of true love, he would continue to grow and expand that farm, cherishing it throughout his life. He developed a life-long passion for flying when his parents bought him flying lessons in high school. He attended Kansas State University and graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He joined the USAF in 1959 and became a fighter pilot, eventually serving 2 years in Vietnam where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star. He later spent a year stationed in South Korea and would serve in the USAF for 20 years and retire as a Major in 1980 at Patrick AFB, having flown many hours in T-38s, F-4s and F-100 planes.
Even after retirement, he continued to fly for years to come and was a member of the Patrick AFB Aero Club. He enjoyed flying family and friends in his own plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza, and used it to provide trips to numerous patients for Angel Flight. Winston was a voracious learner throughout his life and earned his master’s degree in Business. He also became a licensed realtor, contractor and CPA in the 1980s after his retirement from the Air Force. He traveled much of the world and loved reading, politics and business. He was an active member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Satellite Beach and volunteer with Gideon’s International for many years. His Christian faith was the cornerstone of his life.
In his “grounded” time, Winston loved his family – whether watching a football game with his son, or skiing with his granddaughters in CO, he loved to share his values, opinions, and life lessons with those closest in his life. He thoroughly enjoyed retirement living near the water in Florida. One of his favorite activities was spending time with family and friends on his boat, traveling the many waterways throughout the state.
He is survived by his son, John Barr (Ocala, FL); his daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Robert Thomas (Highlands Ranch, CO); and two granddaughters, Cayman and Sydney, whom he loved dearly. He is also survived by his sister, Shirlee Johns (Thatcher, AZ); and sister and brother-in-law, Elma and Alan Mayr (Phoenix, AZ); and many dear nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family will receive friends and visitors at the Life Event Center at Florida Memorial, 5950 South US Highway 1, Rockledge, FL on Monday, March 18,2019 from 10 – 11 a.m. A Funeral Service to honor his life will follow at 11 a.m. Please access the following link for directions and details, https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/rockledge-fl/winston-barr-8198768.
Flowers may be sent to the Life Event Center at Florida Memorial (OR) alternatively, the family kindly requests that cash donations made in lieu of flowers be sent to the American Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, IL 6060. www.alz.org/cnfl.
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American Alzheimer's Association225 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
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