David John Barr

David John Barr
David John Barr, 82, formerly of Rolla passed away on July 24, 2021 in Chesterfield MO. He retired as a Professor of Geological Engineering from The University of Missouri-Rolla (now MO S&T) where he served as Department Chairman. He is survived by his son John M. Barr and daughter-in-law Nancy E. Barr (Chesterfield) and by Grandsons Matthew T. Barr (Chicago, IL) and Adam J. Barr (Wichita Falls, TX). He is also survived by a sister, Ruth Farmer and her daughter Amy Goodwin of Carmel, IN, and a brother Tom Barr and his daughter Abby O'Dell of Ballwin MO. He served as a board member for the fledgling Rolla Rural Fire Department, Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Rolla, and member of the Rolla Lion's Club where he spent a year as Carnival Chairman. The reward for Carnival Chairmanship, in case you were wondering, was to be thrown into the lake. He loved the outdoors and was much more likely to be found hanging around with policemen, firemen, and shop technicians than with his university colleagues. He had a world of knowledge at his fingertips and while he was not in any way cocky about it, he did enjoy providing answers to people when asked. In his long life, he visited many far-away places, notably Alaska where he served with the US Forest Service, China, and Egypt. His last few years were particularly challenging since he lost his wife Kay Barr to dementia. He will be missed by many. Visitation with the family will be held at the Rolla Lion's Club Park Pavilion 12 on Saturday, August 14 from 10am to noon. Memorial contributions to the Alzheimer's Association are appreciated in lieu of flowers at http://act.alz.org/goto/David_Barr.