Barry Oberpriller

1960 - 2025

Barry Oberpriller

Leverett, MA - It is with heavy hearts we share the news of the passing from this life's journey on May 20,2025 of Barry Oberpriller after a brief illness. Barry was born in Lompoc California February 15,1960 to Major Gary Oberpriller and Virginia (Ginny) Oberpriller. He and his five siblings grew up in the Air Force during the difficult years of the Vietnam war. His father, a military airlift command (MAC) pilot, flew men and equipment over to the war and returned home to Dover many times with the bodies of our fallen soldiers. This experience had a profound lifelong impact on Barry.

Barry was an extraordinary, sensitive soul from birth whose light shone brightly. He was creative and inventive with a passion for building that started with a doghouse from scrap wood as a young child, to designing and building an ICF (insulated concrete form) house that won the Best House in the World award in 2009 for its sustainability and industry-changing design.

Along the way, Barry renovated many homes, including a spectacular 1807 watermill that was featured in a design magazine. He was driven by a desire to build sustainable dwellings and leave a lighter footprint on this Earth. At his passing, Barry had just finished designing an age-in-place cottage; a fully accessible, solar-powered retirement home.

He was also a patented inventor who created the Luge Tube - a steerable, stoppable snow tube to ride down the mountainside. The Luge Tube was introduced to the world during the 2002 Winter Olympics at Park City, Utah and ran at a number of successful winter resort parks, the longest at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. Barry was an assembly artist, creating beautiful sculptures and landscapes that focused on our native surroundings.

Barry met his soulmate, Cheri, during their sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma. In a truly "love at first sight" fashion, they married in August 1981 and spent 45 years together exploring all of America. With four generations of dogs, they hiked almost every inch of the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and explored just about every back road from the Canadian border in Maine to the southern coast of New England.

Barry was pre-deceased by four of his siblings and his father. He is survived by his wife, Cheri Tabor Oberpriller of Leverett, MA; his mother Ginny, aunt Nan Ann Smith and older brother Brad, all in the Minneapolis, MN area.

At his request, there will be no formal services. Arrangements are being made by Czelusniak Funeral Home of Northampton. (https://www.czelusniakfuneralhome.com). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to the ASPCA, Audubon, Salvation Army or your local food bank or animal shelter.