Richard "Dick" Lee Barr

Richard Lee (Dick) Barr passed away on August 8, 2015. He was born August 31, 1933 in Forest City, SD and was raised in Gettysburg, SD. At age 11 he moved to Bellingham, WA with his father Benton Barr. He graduated from Bellingham High School in 1951.

Dick joined the National Guard in Bellingham, serving for two years while still in high school. In 1952 he joined the Navy, spending most of his four year naval career aboard the U.S.S. Essex aircraft carrier. He was also a Korean War Veteran. Dick was very proud of serving his country and had many stories to share about his adventures.

After the Navy, Dick found employment with Pacific Northwest Bell and made it his career. In 1957, he met and married Janyce Nelson. They settled in Seattle until Dick was transferred to Renton where they built a house and raised their family. In 1978, he transferred to Yakima, and he and Jan bought a small apple orchard in Cowiche. He continued working at the phone company while ‘playing’ with their farm. Dick retired from AT&T in 1988 with 31 years of service.

During his retirement Dick kept busy with his farm and had more time for his real love, his pigeons. Dick raised and showed pigeons for 50 years, traveling all over the U.S. with them. He was a member of the National Pigeon Association and the Giant Homer Pigeon Club as well as several smaller local clubs.

Dick and Jan bought property in Westport, WA, and spent many great weekends on the beach. He loved to sit on the back of his truck and fly kites. At one point he acquired a big apple called the Apple Maggot. He purchased a car trailer to transport the apple and turned it into a parade float. Originally, he pulled the Apple Maggot through the parades with his farm tractor, later with his signature Red Truck. Dick and his family (especially the grandkids) always had fun taking part in the parades. It was always a great time for him. Each 4th of July the whole family takes part in the Tokeland Parade which has become a family tradition.

Dick was very proud of his four children and loved to share their accomplishments with anyone he could. He was also very proud of his grandchildren.

Dick was preceded in death by his father Benton Lee Barr, his mother Maxine Tobin, and his sister Florence Ragsdale. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Janyce Barr of Yakima, three sons, Randy (Allison) Barr of Kenmore, Ron (Sharon) Barr of Renton, Ryan (Wendi) Barr of Cheney, daughter JoAnne Burlingame of Yakima, eleven grandchildren, and two great granddaughters. His two sisters Drusilla (Tom) Tostenson of Goldbeach, OR, and Shirley (Dick) Phillips of Walla Walla, and brother Daniel Tobin and Coral Reid, a special niece, of Yakima, who spent a lot of time and patience helping Dick in his last year.

The family would like to thank the staff at Yakima Regional Hospital for the wonderful care they gave Dick.

A celebration of life for Dick will be held at the Eagles Lodge in Yakima on September 12, 2015 at 1 pm. Friends of Dick are encouraged to attend.