Richard L. “Dick” Barry, age 92, a longtime resident of Framingham, MA, passed away on November 2, 2024, with his family by his side. Born March 30, 1932, in Melrose, MA to William and Jean (Sweeney) Barry. Dick is predeceased by his wife of 65 years Joanne, his brother, William Barry Jr; his sister, Barbara (Barry) Felhofer; and several dear friends for whom he carried many fond memories.
Dick was raised in Mission Hill, Boston, MA where he was a communicant of, and altar server at, The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mission Church) attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grammar School and graduating from Mission Church High School, Class of 1949. In 1952, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He married the love of his life, Joanne Jarzylo of Lynn MA, on September 24, 1955, and they started their life together in Ogden, UT where Dick was stationed. After retiring as Staff Sergeant from the United States Air Force, Dick and Joanne settled in Framingham, MA to raise their family. Dick was employed by General Electric Corporation, Sylvania Systems Group, and retired as Security Manager for GTE Government Systems Corporation after a 36-year career.
He leaves behind his children – Debbie Rhodes and her husband Mike of Nashua, NH; Jack Barry and his wife Lynda of Moultonborough, NH; Kathy Adams and her husband Don of Hyannis, MA, and Janet Smith and her husband Don of Waltham, MA. A devoted husband and father, Dick’s primary focus was on his faith in God and his family. He and Joanne treasured their grandchildren, embracing every moment with them. As a devoted Catholic, Dick emphasized the importance of a life centered on faith in Christ and prayed fervently for his grandchildren and great grandchildren – Michael, Danny and Rachel Rhodes; Kaitlyn (Barry) Flanagan, her husband Kevin and their son Shea; Mike Barry and his wife, Brittany; Rob Adams; Dean Adams, his wife Mary Kate and their daughter Charlotte; Jessica Adams and her fiancé, Stetson Hays; Scott Smith and his wife, Krystal; and Tim Smith.
In his retirement, Dick enjoyed living the snowbird life with Joanne in Naples, FL, traveling and maintaining lifelong friendships. An avid sports fan, Dick followed the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, and Boston Bruins closely, but nothing thrilled him more than cheering on his children and grandchildren from the stands and encouraging them through life events. With Joanne’s passing in 2020 and his declining health, Dick became an armchair cheerleader for his Boston teams and especially for his family. Fondly known as Bumpa to his grandchildren, he will forever be remembered dearly by his family and the people whose hearts he touched.
Services will be private. Donations in his memory can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org/), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/), or the American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org/).
Arrangements by the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home of Framingham. To share a memory with Dick’s family, kindly visit www.mccarthyfh.com