Joe Barrow

Joe Barrow, 84 of Montezuma passed away Sunday morning, October 5, 2025 at Montezuma Specialty Care. A Celebration of Life will begin at 10:30am CST on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma with a lunch/visitation to follow the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Montezuma Lions Club or the Community Hope Church backpack feeding program. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of the arrangements.

Joseph Ross Barrow was born on May 25, 1941 to Joseph and Beatrice Ross Barrow at New Brighton, PA. Joe had two sisters and grew up in Rochester, PA. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1959. Joe then attended Geneva College receiving his bachelor's in education degree. He was married to Donna Ross in Beaver Falls, PA on November 21, 1963 and they became the parents of two children, JB and Michelle. Joe began his first job in Cleveland, Ohio for a few years before moving to Northfield, OH and began teaching at Nordonia Junior High Middle School in science education for close to 30 years. He was the kind of teacher who made kids feel seen. He had a special way of reaching students who needed both structure and kindness. He taught science, but more importantly, he taught with heart. His students loved him-not just for what they learned, but for how he made them feel. He made a lasting impact, and his legacy lives on in the lives he touched. He also became a successful realtor along with his wife Donna. He retired in 1999 and moved to Florida with Donna and then she passed away in March 2000. Joe became a property manager for two years in Florida.

Joe met Jo Poe and they were married on Sunday, November 11, 2012 at the Community Hope Church in Montezuma. They then traveled to Florida and renewed their vows on a beach and went on a cruise. They made their home in Montezuma and Joe enjoyed their trips to Florida, reading, old time radio, tinkering with model train sets, Ohio State Football, coin collecting, Geology, and was very knowledgeable about rocks. He also enjoyed playing poker, homing pigeons, and dancing. Most of all, he loved his family, his fur baby, Mollie, being a schoolteacher and was chosen as Teacher of the Year several times.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Donna, her sister, Carol Boyce, and twin sons in infancy.

Joe is survived by his wife, Jo of Montezuma his daughter, Michelle (Gary) Carpenter of West Palm Beach, FL; his son, JB (Jackie) Barrow of Bun, North Carolina; grandchildren, Chloe and Caiden; sisters, Ruth Ann (Ron) Fisher of Phoenix, AZ and Genie Weiss of Williams, AZ and Jo's family, DeLane "Scott" (Angie) Patterson of Montezuma, Jeramy Poe of Iowa City, IA, B.J. (Nikki) Poe of Solon, IA and their children, Kali and Kael; nephew, JR (Kara) Shearer and their children Masin and Trey, his other grandchildren, Ryan, Kourtney, DC, Jenna, Lana, Tanya, and Tyler; several great grandchildren, as well as other relatives and many friends.