Hunter Barrett

1925 - 2010

Hunter Barrett, 84, joined his Savior on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010, in Fort Worth. Graveside service: 11 a.m. Saturday in Greenwood Memorial Park, the Rev. James Hart and the Rev. John Barrett, celebrants. Honorary pallbearers: Jimmy DuBose, Hubert Foster, Mitch Musgrove, Willie A. Harrison, Reid Buckley, Ken Davis, Bob Hill, Howard Johnston, O.L. Pitts and Stephen Seleny. Pallbearers: Lee B Johnson, Hunter B. Johnson, Frank Hein, Barney Holland, Mike Hyatt and Tom Walker. Memorials: Should friends desire, memorials may be given to a charity of choice. Hunter Barrett was born Nov. 26, 1925, in Fort Worth to A.P. and Hazel Barrett. He attended Terrell Boarding School for Boys in Dallas and Arlington Heights High School. Barrett's life was interesting and challenging. At age 14, in June of 1940 he signed himself aboard a British merchant ship as an ordinary seaman. After Dec. 7, 1941, he transferred to U.S. Maritime Service. In August 1944, he entered in U.S. Maritime Service Officer Candidate School in New London, Conn. He graduated Dec. 12, 1944, as a third mate deck officer with unlimited tonnage, qualified in any ocean and also an ensign in the Navy Reserve. He was the youngest third mate ever commissioned by the Maritime Service at that time. After the Japanese surrender, he retired from the Maritime Service as a second mate, lieutenant SG, Navy Reserve, having served 5 1/2 years in every ocean war zone, from Murmansk, Russia, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Sea of China and Pacific oceans. He had been aboard ships engaged in invasions, including Okinawa where his fleet tanker was severely damaged by a hit from a kamikaze plane. His favorite duty was as an able-bodied seaman aboard the SS Exceller, whose captain received the Distinguished Service Medal for his ship's actions during the invasion of Oran, Algiers, in North Africa on Nov. 8, 1942. In October 1945, he married Gretchen Brants and they moved to Costa Rica to run a placer gold mining venture his father had started before he became ill. The 1946 revolution in Costa Rica terminated foreign investments of that nature. He and his wife brought his father back to Fort Worth for medical treatment. Mr. Barrett became associated with The Brants Co., an insurance agency, and started the residential real estate department. In 1950 he started his own brokerage company, specializing in commercial, industrial and residential developments, along with acting as trustee for many national and international corporations in acquiring sites, operating companies, office buildings and hotels throughout the United States, Central and South America. Mr. Barrett served as president of the National Commercial Real Estate Brokers, Downtown Fort Worth Association, as well as serving on the boards of many civic and business corporations throughout the nation. He was one of the founders of All Saints Episcopal Church and Trinity Valley School of Fort Worth. He enjoyed owning a condo in Key Allegro and sport fishing with his family. Later he owned a working cattle ranch in Hamilton County, where their grandchildren spent a lot of their youth growing up. He had been a member of City Club, Fort Worth Club, River Crest, Shady Oaks and Ridglea country clubs, Fort Worth Boat Club and Galveston, Corpus Christi and Chub Cay yacht clubs. They had cruised extensively aboard a passenger container ship to most of the east coast ports in South America and aboard cruise ships throughout the Caribbean, Panama Canal and Alaska. Mr. Barrett was preceded in death by his beloved grandson, Christopher Lehane Johnson; sisters, Barbara Barrett, Mrs. Frances Hein; and brother, Bruce Barrett. Survivors: Wife of 65 years, Gretchen Barrett; son, Richard H. Barrett Jr. and his wife, Anne; daughter, Mrs. J. Lee Johnson IV; grandsons, Lee Barrett Johnson and Hunter B. Johnson, all of Fort Worth, and Euan Barrett of Epsom, Surrey, England; great-grandson, Rohan Lee Johnson of Fort Worth; nephew, Frank Hein and his wife, Joy, of San Antonio; and many beloved cousins.