John F. Barlow

John was the son of Allen and Mary (Raymond) Barlow and raised in a large family with siblings, Sylvan (Irene), Charlotte, Douglas (Barbara), William, George (Loraine) and Valerie (BJ). He was a generous, fun-loving uncle and will be missed by his many nieces and nephews.

John grew up in Binghamton, NY and was very involved in The Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton as a young boy. Under the guidance and mentorship of George Palino, John and his closest childhood friends were positively impacted by its life enhancing programs and character development experiences. They carried their memories at Camp Sertoma and lessons learned throughout life as college students at Murray State, within their careers and their family lives.

John was strongly encouraged to join the military as a young man where he served in the Military Intelligence Corps and was assigned to the White House Signal Agency. After honorable discharge, John attended college at Murray State University in Kentucky under the G.I. Bill. Upon graduation, he began a career of over thirty years working at both IBM and Lockheed Martin in Finance/Program Management. He proudly worked on many projects such as, but not limited to, the US Postal Services Program, Civilian Personnel Management Service Contract, eJEDMICs program, MH-60R Missions System, Navy Helo Program, LACIE and the NASA Space Shuttle Program.

John was always active in his community and enjoyed helping with the Apalachin Field Days. He was an Honorary Fire Commissioner of the Apalachin Fire Department as well as serving in many board roles including President of the Lakeside Outing Club at Page Lake. He was a member of the Band of Brothers in The Villages, Florida.

As a teenager, John was introduced to Mary Jane on a blind date at Little Venice on St. Patrick's Day. They were married and enjoyed sixty-three years together before Mary Jane's passing in 2023. John and Mary Jane raised daughters Christine (Jay) and Beth in a home filled with love, laughter, honesty and the value of hard work. They spent their retirement years enjoying time with friends and family, traveling up and down the east coast from New York, Page Lake, Pennsylvania throughout North Carolina and The Villages, Florida.

John enjoyed spending time at both Christy and Beth's homes. The gardens, empty recliners and surplus of gin and wine left behind at our homes bring both love and sadness in the same moment.

Of all the titles that John Barlow held, the one that brought him the greatest joy was that of Papa to Mary Margaret (Maggie) and Lauren. Memories of the Lake, making popcorn balls, Disney adventures, bench rides and basketball (Go Duke!) will keep Papa's laughter and spirit alive in all of our hearts.

Throughout the last two years, John faced the challenge of lymphoma head on, looking forward to positive results. Christy and Beth would like to express their deepest respect and appreciation to the Duke Blood Cancer Clinic, Floor 10 Hematology / Oncology Patient Care Unit medical staff at Duke University Hospital, Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center and Hospice Residence in Ithaca NY. The level of care that John received at these facilities was both medically superior, compassionate. and always provided a soft spot on the hardest days. We will forever be thankful for all of their support and caring efforts for our dad. In lieu of flowers or contributions, the family asks that you find a small act of kindness to pass forward in the spirit of John. Ideas include contributing to a local club for disadvantaged youth, contributing financially to someone's education, a donation to one of the above-mentioned medical institutions, planting random flowers or a garden or just finding your own way to be a good neighbor.

Christy, Beth, Maggie and Lauren invite friends and family to share memories of John with a gin & tonic toast at Little Venice in Binghamton on November 23, 2025 from 1-4 p.m. An additional remembrance will be held in The Villages, Florida at a later date.