Barry NEEDHAM

NEEDHAM, Barry Barry Needham, age 67 of Loganville, passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Funeral Services will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2018 in the Loganville Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home. Richard Jenkins will officiate. Interment will follow at Corinth Memorial Gardens. Barry's perception of the world may have been different from most peoples. He had been through a lot of tough experiences, but yet he still desired to see and live life like everyone else. He longed for the things that most of us take for granted-to graduate college, have a career, and get married. Perhaps he could identify with the lyrics of the song "Wouldn't I Be Someone..." thinking often of all the things he wished he could have been. Instead of being jaded about the things he wasn't able to achieve, he chose to simply do the best he could. He focused a lot of his efforts and time towards things that brought him joy-writing, reading, music, and his faith. He had a thirst for knowledge--- avid reader of books about an array of topics. He watched the news routinely and read newspapers to stay up to date with current world events and politics. Barry was a good student and earned straight A's while in school. While few may have really known Barry, those who did know he had a kind heart. He cared about his family, loved his parents deeply, and counted on his brother. He was a gentle soul and a genuinely good person. Most importantly, he was a believer. He wrote many prayers found on slips of paper throughout the house-simple reminders to be grateful, to do good unto others, to show love, and to trust God. Barry kept the phone line busy and would routinely call people just to have someone to talk to. He needed nothing other than friendly company on the other end of the line. Barry helped his father, Gene Needham, farm and sell produce for years. Many people remember stopping by the house in the summer to buy watermelons or peas and Barry would come out of the house to greet the customer. He also sold barrels and proudly considered himself self-employed. Barry was a true blogger before blogging was even a real thing! He probably didn't even know what blogging was, but had been doing it for years. Hundreds of lists, descriptions of his daily activities, notes about who he spoke to, summaries of sports games he watched, trends, facts, etc Stacks of notebooks were filled with content and stowed away... each page serving as something he viewed as important and purposeful to him. He had documented details about pretty much everything! Writing was what kept him grounded and made him proud. He wrote numerous poems, and often submitted letters to The Walton Tribune and AJC. He prided himself on being knowledgeable and even once or twice earning an award for his poem or writing sample submitted to various contests. In one of his lengthier writing compositions, he wrote about his acknowledgment of all the sad and unfortunate events going on in the world and how the world would be a better place if we focused on love, faith, and kindness. He firmly believed that drawing closer to one's faith and dependence on God would lead to a better future. This is again, another testament that he was truly a gentle soul longing for a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, due to cataracts his vision had declined over the last few years. However, Barry continued to attempt to write using black Sharpie markers to make bold marks in hopes of being able to see his own hand writing. In addition to his love of writing, Barry treasured music. He constantly listened to records. Among his favorites were The Beatles, Bee Gees, and Electric Light Orchestra. He owned every Beatles album and probably knew every word to each song. Barry also played the guitar and could often be heard in his bedroom strumming and singing. His most prized possession was his 1979 Z 28 Camaro. He bought the car with his own money and was so proud of it. He was deeply saddened when it was stolen. Over the years, Barry worked at Walton Drive-In in Loganville, S & S Superette in Loganville, Johnson's Drug Store, Big Star Grocery Store in Lawrenceville, and International Loss Control Institute. He always enjoyed working the election polls in Loganville as well. He attended LHS, but later graduated from MACHS in 1969. He went on to attend Dekalb College and was majoring in Liberal Arts. He attended Loganville Methodist Church in years past, and enjoyed singing in the choir. He wished he could have attended more regularly. Barry was a good uncle-giving, proud, and supportive. Mr. Needham was preceded in death by his parents: Eugene & Barbara Howington Needham. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law: Danny and Teresa Needham of Monroe; niece: Abby Needham-Nash (Andy) of Monroe; nephew: Matt Needham (Lindsey) of Cumming; and 2 great nephews: Harper and Henry Needham. The family will receive friends from 12 - 2 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at the Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 670 Tom Brewer Road, Loganville, GA 30052. 770-466-1544. Please sign the online guest registry at www.stewartfh.com