John R. Barr Jr.

John R. Barr Jr. April 17, 1927 - February 28, 2005 John R. Barr Jr., 77, of Pennsylvania Furnace, died Monday, February 28, at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. Born April 17, 1927 in Gatesburg, he was a son of the late John Robert and Ancie Rider Barr Sr. He was the youngest of ten children. On September 27, 1948, he married Phyllis Barbara Lutz, who survives at home. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Oakland in the South Pacific from May 20, 1944 to May 22, 1946. In his younger years, he was a well driller for DeArmit Well Drilling and a campus patrol officer for Penn State. Then he entered into the printing business working for Nittany Printing and Publishing Company and Offset Centre. In 1972, with partner the late William Kocher, they established the well respected K-B Offset Printing in State College. John also owned the Trophy Room and a local silk screening business. John gave countless hours of service to the Fairbrook United Methodist Church, where he was a member. He was instrumental in the development and growth of the Suburban Little League, serving as a coach and League President for several years. His neighborhood knew him as a friend and the dependable president of the Cedar Hill Water Company. As an avid hunter and fisherman, he especially enjoyed the Fishing trips and days at the hunting camp with his children and extended family. He followed his grandchildren in their softball, baseball and equestrian competitions. Perhaps he was best known as a strong family man, sharing his carpentry and masonry skills to help each of his children to build or remodel their homes. He is survived by one daughter, Carolyn Foust and her husband Stephen of Centre Hall; three sons, Kevin and his wife Kathy of Port Matilda, Keith and his wife Cheryl of Port Matilda, and Kent of Lemont; four grandchildren, Michelle Collison and her husband Dr. Craig Collison of Madisonburg, Heather Zimmerman and her husband Donald of Dallas, PA, Justin Barr of Osceola Mills, and Cody Barr of Port Matilda; and seven great grandchildren, Taylor, Chase, Caroline and Lydia Collison, Carl and Klay Zimmerman, and Kadence Mark. He is also survived by one sister, his only living sibling, Emma Brown of Largo, FL. Visitation will be from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Friday at Fairbrook United Methodist Church, 4201 W. Whitehall Rd., PA Furnace, with the Reverend Gene McCalips officiating. Burial will be at Grays Cemetery, Stormstown. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Diabetes Association, 3544 North Progress Avenue, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17110, the American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc., 2150 Hylan Blvd, Suite 4-B, Staten Island, NY 10305 or to the Fairbrook United Methodist Church, 4201, W. Whitehall Rd., PA Furnace, PA 16865.