Barry E. Kriebel

Barry E. Kriebel, Sr., of Hatboro passed away on May 15, 2017. He was 68 years old. He was the beloved husband of the late Colleen L. Kriebel, with whom he shared 44 years of marriage. Born on May 23, 1948, at The Women's Hospital of Philadelphia to the late Robert E. and Dorothy F. Kriebel, Barry grew up in a house on a crazy-tall hill on Fitzwatertown Rd with his younger sister Cheryl and the youngest sibling Wayne. He enjoyed collecting stamps and coins and was an avid gearhead who loved classic cars and drag racing. He taught his sister to flat shift in his Ford Fairlane, and they raced together in a Powder Puff Derby in the Poconos. After graduating as a member of the class of 1967 from Abington High School, he immediately joined the Naval Air Reserve and was stationed for a time in Olathe, Kansas. He met Colleen while stationed at the Willow Grove Naval Air Base in April 1969. She was working at the now-defunct Bazaar, and although she says she liked him, it wasn't love at first sight—he was dating her best friend at the time. He thought she was too wild and didn't like the company she was keeping (and thought she was too smart for him). Despite these reservations, they finally decided to go on a date at the beginning of May. Walking on the beach that day and cruising around Long Beach Island together seemed to do the trick: The two were married in Willow Grove on Saturday June 13, 1970, and welcomed three children in the years following. At 20 years old, Barry owned the 7-11 franchise on W. County Line Road, holding the distinction of being the youngest franchise owner in the Southland Corporation. After selling the business, he went on to own a Lawn Doctor franchise for many years. Friends and neighbors can also thank him for being a source for their (super-secret) Independence Day backyard fireworks. Before retiring, he worked for Derr Flooring Company and was awarded top honors for his regional sales. Spending time with his wife Colleen at destinations in the Promised Land Lake in the Pocono Mountains and in Cape May, New Jersey, were some of his fondest memories. They were forever getting babysitters so they could go out in his red, white and blue corvette to go disco dancing, and they hosted large pool parties that ended in night-long raucous card-playing tournaments. After Colleen passed two years ago, Barry remained in the home they shared, spending time with his grandchildren, rekindled a passion for jigsaw puzzles and taking care of his faithful feline companion, Pumpkin. Barry is survived by his children, Barry E. (nee Kriebel) Dougherty and his husband, Aaron, of Lansdale, Michael S. and his wife, Jennifer, of Abington, Kelly C. (nee Kriebel) Snyder and her husband, Keith, of Horsham, five grandchildren, Robert, Rosemarie, Aariyona, Caleb, and Rosemary, a sister, Cheryl Adams (Charles), and a brother, Wayne (Emily). Relatives and friends will be received by his family on Monday, May 22, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in Schneider Funeral Home, 431 N. York Road, Hatboro, and are invited to attend his Funeral Service at 11:00 a.m. His interment will follow in Whitemarsh Memorial Park Cemetery, Horsham Township. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barry's name to the educational fund setup for "Aariyona Winslow" c/o Citizens Bank, Horsham Giant location, 314 Horsham Road, Horsham, PA 19044 or any Citizens Bank Location.