Richard Wesley Barry Jr.

1948 - 2022

BARRY, Richard Wesley, Jr., passed away peacefully on August 2, 2022, in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 73.

Richard was preceded in death by his father, Richard Wesley Barry Sr.; his mother, Mary Campbell Barry; and his wife of 35 years, Anne Zirkle Barry. He is survived by his son, Michael Campbell Barry Sr. (Shannon); his grandson, Michael Campbell Barry Jr.; his daughters, Anne Wesley Barry and Laura Whitney Barry, all of Richmond, Virginia. He is also survived by his brother, Greg Barry (Donna Sorkin) of McLean, Virginia; nephew, Colin Barry (Katie) of Boston, Massachusetts; sister, Mary Patricia Barry (Keith Schweigel) of Falmouth, Massachusetts; and his loving partner of eight years, Lee Stevens, of Glen Allen, Va.

Richard was born on September 6, 1948 in Bangkok, Thailand. He grew up overseas, as his father was in government service with the State Department. His family later relocated to Arlington, Virginia and he was a graduate of Yorktown High School. He served in the United States Navy for four years and upon discharge, he settled in Richmond, Virginia. Richard then began a career that spanned 39 years with Aetna U.S. Healthcare.

His first love was books and the written word. Richard collected thousands of books over the years and was known to read almost four at a time! He also took great interest in supporting independent bookstores in the Richmond area, as well as in other parts of the United States. He was a constant presence at all of his children's softball and baseball games. He enjoyed coaching and kept the most detailed scorebook. After retirement, he had a newfound appreciation for travel and seeing the world with friends, family and his partner, Lee.

Richard impacted the lives of many people with his generosity and kindness. He maintained lasting relationships across all spheres of his life and he will be greatly missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the West Richmond Church of the Brethren, 7612 Wanymala Road, Henrico, Va. 23229. The service will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow. The service will also be livestreamed and shown at https://www.wrcob.org/home.html.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Richard's honor to Bon Secours Community Hospice House, the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program or The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.