Thomas Anthony Barrett

Thomas Anthony Barrett, 59, of 4107 Wolcott Hollow Road, Athens, Pa., was born into Eternal Life on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, at the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa.

"Tom," as he was known by his family and many friends, was born July 11, 1949, in Towanda, Pa., the son of Rita Waples Barrett and the late Anthony James "Tony" Barrett.

Tom was a graduate of Athens High School, Class of 1967, and was a member of the Athens wrestling and football teams. He was a graduate of Penn State — Wilkes-Barre, where he received his degree in surveying.

Tom was employed as a surveyor in New Jersey before returning home to work at the Valley Creamery as a lab technician, school bus driver and DHIA milk tester.

On June 25, 1977, he married his best friend, the former Kathy Sullivan, and together they raised two wonderful children.

After being married, he was able to live his dream and farm alongside his father, Tony. Tom was a lifelong dairy farmer, who had one of the outstanding, registered Holstein farms in the area.

He was a board member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Tom was a communicant of St. Ann's Parish, Bentley Creek, and was a former Parish Council member.

He served as an Athens Area High School co-op mentor for several students. Tom was member of the agricultural security area for Athens Borough, a member of the Holstein Association and the Towanda Gun Club.

Tom loved the land and farming, but his true love was family gatherings, especially on Pinetop Farm. He always looked forward to the Smith's hunting camp and the shrimp gumbo.

Surviving are: his wife of 31 years Kathy Sullivan Barrett, at home; his son and daughter-in-law Kelly Barrett and Kate VanNote Barrett of Athens; his daughter Kerry Barrett of Athens; mother Rita Barrett of Athens; sister and brother-in-law Esther Barrett Urban and Tom Urban of Fairfield, Iowa; brother and sister-in-law Tim Barrett and Annette Forest Barrett of Lambertville, Mich.; special nieces Jennifer Barrett White of Dayton, Ohio, Tiffany Barrett Sanders of Perrysburg, Ohio, Jessica Barrett Swanbeck of Lambertville, Mich., and Shelly Urban of Lunapier, Mich.; he was also blessed with great nieces and great nephews, Timothy, Aiden, Zachary and Margaret White, Natalie Sanders and Robert Swanbeck; mother-in-law Anne Sullivan of Towanda RR 2; sister-in-law Mary Alice Sullivan of Towanda RR 2; his aunts, uncles Eugene Barrett, Patrick and Betty Barrett, Bob and Lois Waples, Gene Waples (his godfather), Betty Waples, Pat Waples and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by: his father Anthony James "Tony" Barrett on Oct. 24, 2002, infant sister Patricia Ann Barrett, infant twin brothers Anthony Mark and William Joseph Barrett, his father-in-law William T. Sullivan on Aug. 7, 2006, aunts and uncles, Joe Barrett, Mary Barrett, Jim Waples, Joe and Alice Waples, Jack and Serena Waples.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Ridgebury Twp., Pa.

Interment will be private in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery.

The family will receive friends on from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home, 217 York Ave. Towanda, Pa., and also on from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday morning at the church.

The family will provide their own flowers and suggests that memorial contributions may be directed to the Bradford County 4-H in care of Tia Steinfelt, 701 South Fourth St. Athens, Pa., 18810 in Thomas Anthony Barrett's memory.