Barry Loehr

from Joey Allen -
I didn't know Barry as a child since he was more than 10 years older than me, but I knew him as an adult, and I respected his creativity and raw intelligence. In spite of all the challenges he had in his life, his brilliance and energy never waned. He always had many mechanical and electronic projects and ideas, and it was common to see the unfinished results strewn wherever he found space. He had a very playful manner and couldn't sit still for any length of time without making a goofy face or playing a prank. "What's that, Joe?" as he reached under your nose or behind your ear, or the "brain sucker," or some other un-seriousness. I also remember him as incredibly strong and unpredictable. But besides hanging his infant brother (me) upside town and tickling him, Barry was never truly mean. He could even be protective at times, especially when it came to threats he himself had been unfortunate enough to fall victim to in his youth. I'll always be grateful for that.

Barry was a wild spirit. Unfettered by the rules that most of us begrudgingly accept within society, he learned survival and self-sufficiency earlier than most people. I still think of him as a diamond in the rough, with incredible creative potential limited by the absence of a proper teacher to help him learn refinement and patience.

He was a skillful journeyman plumber by trade, and he also taught himself general mechanics and electronics. He could fix almost anything, albeit sometimes in a makeshift fashion (think epoxy on an engine flywheel). Exact blueprints were not his style, he preferred following the path of his mind to whatever unusual conclusion he envisioned.

He was generous in his own way too, in spite of never having much financial stability. He made hand-crafted gifts for family birthdays and holidays, and most recently he gifted our mother, Tena, with a blue teddy bear on her 82nd birthday, which she became quite attached to.

Barry's best years were probably in his 30s and early 40s when he had the greatest stability, and a caring partner named Ron who devoted much effort to helping Barry follow the healthiest path for himself. Unfortunately, Ron was taken too soon in 2009, and Barry had difficulty finding solid ground again without Ron's positive, stabilizing influence. His later years were spent largely in and out of the support of friends through barter systems, but he never stopped helping those in need of his ingenuity and strong arms.

Barry is survived by his elder brother Brett, elder sister Debra, younger brother Joey, parents George and Ima (Tena), and several nieces and nephews.
____

BL (edited by Joey) -
My brother Barry was awe inspiring...sweet; lovable and a friend to all people as a child. He was also naive and totally unprepared for reality. A terrible event happened to him in his early childhood that changed him forever and diverted him from the pathway he was supposed to take...But his good nature and sweetness always remained.
____

DH (edited by Joey) -
My brother Barry, what can I say that hasn't already been said. He was a creative genius, he had an inventor's heart, always tinkering with some invention to make life easier. Barry lived in a world of his own making, very unlike the world the rest of us call reality. He was sweet, kind and loving to whomever he chose. He was also erratic and at times unstable as all geniuses are.

He spent most of his life trying to find a father, one who would be there and accept him despite his personality and lifestyle. He loved our Mom, he would do anything for her. She doesn't even know or understand that he's gone. This is a blessing for her.

I loved him, and I wish he was still here despite his seeming craziness. He was joyous, kind, erratic, and a hoarder (runs in the family). His friends told me that he loved working with his hands, particularly with wood. They said he could fix anything, and that he loved music. I wish I knew him the way they did.

My brother Barry, I wish I had known you better. I love you Barry Carter Loehr, and I pray you accepted Jesus before you passed, my crazy diamond. Shine on!