Barry Lee Farr (Bolivar)'s Obituary
Barry Lee Farr, born July 11, 1957, passed away at home on June 21, 2026, at the age of 68. Barry is a legend who has left a legacy for his almost countless family and friends. To meet Barry was to know an extraordinary soul who relentlessly loved his Savior, his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his family, and who had open arms and heart. To know Barry was to know strength and tenderness, a quiet soul and a man of many words when the right topic came up, and John Wayne and Downton Abbey. To know Barry was to hear “you’re about as useless as tits on a slab of bacon” or “I’ll be a suck egg mule” while also being the man who would patiently and kindly invest in each and every person that came into his life. He was more than husband, dad, or brother – he was a friend. Born on July 11, 1957, in Winchester, Kansas, Barry was raised in Valley Falls, Kansas. Barry was adventurous and ornery, his exploits the memories his siblings laugh over even to this day. Barry graduated from Valley Falls High School in 1975. He started pursuing a degree in Marine Biology at KSU, but felt drawn to Manhattan Christian College, where he received a Bachelor's in Ministry. There, he met the love of his life, who became his bride. Together, they built a life overflowing with love, children, and Jesus. He wore many hats in his professional life: house parent for boys at Sangralee Valley, Indiana; direct care for individuals with disabilities in Maryland; a Pastor in Kansas; a computer teacher in Delaware; a QIPD in a Day Program in Maryland; and an owner at First Serve in Missouri. He retired from Preferred Family Healthcare as a Director in Missouri in 2019. Together, Barry and Nancy built a home and a family where so many found solace and sanctuary (but almost never solitude). Barry was always up for a game of Pitch or a movie or a chat on the back porch or a dance in the kitchen with Nancy singing “Fly Me To The Moon.” Barry was excited for each and every addition to the family, and if there was a baby around, it always found its way into his arms. No matter when, no matter where, for whoever walked through that door, he made coming home special. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leslie “Red” and Dorothy Farr, brother Les Farr, and sons Jordan, Darrell, and Timothy. He is survived by his bride of 44 years, Nancy (Alexander), his children Elisha and Heather, Joshua and Jordane, Leigh, Micah, Ethan, Joel, Rebekah, Seth, and Noah and Lakota, and his grandchildren Dalton and Christian, Eagan, Marcus, Quinn, Reece, Connor, Kaia and Zander, Ema, Asher, Finn and Gus, Jackson and Owen, Gavin, Silas, Penelope, Oliver and Theodore, Maximus, Jonah, Gabriel, and Evelyn, Cohen and Carter, and Uriah. He is survived by siblings Stan (Donetta) Farr, Lynn (Ron) Tuck, Sharon (Dave) Church, and Brad (Stephanie) Farr. His legacy is that of a husband who served his wife with passion and strength, who left his children with an example that rivals few, a friend who was steady and reliable, a man of God who loved his Lord and Savior and desired to give everything he had for the One who gave him all. Words will fall endlessly short to describe who Barry was, but it was a privilege and an honor to be called his. Those he has left behind carry forward his legacy with humble gratitude for the example he set. You are greatly missed. Services for Barry will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Time and service location is pending at this time but will be announced when finalized.
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