Rick was born in Lowell, Aug. 7, 1950, he was the son of the late R. Allen and Florence L. (Grady) Barry, Sr. He attended St. Michael's Grammar School and graduated from Lowell High School, Class of 1968.
During the Vietnam War, he served in the United States Navy. Rick was employed as a manager of the former Service Merchandise in Bradford, Somerville and Natick.
A funeral director for over 35 years, Rick began his career in 1976, working at the McKenna Funeral Home in Lowell. Since 1989, he had been an integral part of the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes, Haverhill and Bradford.
While at H.L. Farmer & Sons, Rick was instrumental in developing the H.L. Farmer & Sons Bethany Bereavement and Resource Center, presented programs at various schools in the area that were coping with sudden deaths and assisted in developing a campaign teaching students about the dangers of drunk driving.
Extremely active in the community, he was a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club since 1997. As a member of the Exchange Club he served as Club President, New England District Exchange Clubs President and a member of the New England District Board. He co-founded the Haverhill Exchange Club's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, and also founded the Sing Out Against Child Abuse. Rick was very influential in convincing the National Board to allow the Excel and Jr. Excel Clubs to be formed in schools throughout the country.
He was also involved with Family Connections, Haverhill Community Television, where he was the host of "What's Happening Haverhill," The Haverhill Community Violence Coalition (HCVC), served on the Essex County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Board, and served on the Board of both Sacred Hearts School and Merrimack Valley Hospice.
Rick was the Advisory Board Chairman for the Haverhill Salvation Army and was the co-founder of the Haverhill Salvation Army Christmas Castle. He received awards from the Salvation Army for Community Service to others, the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award, and was a recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Yankee Clipper Council Boy Scouts of America.
A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 20 years, Rick was a past president of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters, served as vice president of Marketing and Public Relations for the Northeast District, and served as chairman of three Barbershop Conventions at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, receiving the Greater Merrimack Valley Ambassador award. He was the recipient of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters Barber Shopper of the Year award as well as the Patriot Division Barber Shopper of the Year.
Rick once told me that in his "younger years", he wanted to be a lot of different things but Funeral Director sure wasn't one of them but after having been in the funeral services, he couldn't imagine doing anything else. "Best decision I ever made" he said. He told me that even when he would get a call in the middle of the night, to go pick up someone who had passed, he loved his job. He felt that he was truly making a contribution to the community in the very best way imaginable.
He was right, he did make an incredible impact on more people than he knew.
During the Vietnam War, he served in the United States Navy. Rick was employed as a manager of the former Service Merchandise in Bradford, Somerville and Natick.
A funeral director for over 35 years, Rick began his career in 1976, working at the McKenna Funeral Home in Lowell. Since 1989, he had been an integral part of the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes, Haverhill and Bradford.
While at H.L. Farmer & Sons, Rick was instrumental in developing the H.L. Farmer & Sons Bethany Bereavement and Resource Center, presented programs at various schools in the area that were coping with sudden deaths and assisted in developing a campaign teaching students about the dangers of drunk driving.
Extremely active in the community, he was a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club since 1997. As a member of the Exchange Club he served as Club President, New England District Exchange Clubs President and a member of the New England District Board. He co-founded the Haverhill Exchange Club's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, and also founded the Sing Out Against Child Abuse. Rick was very influential in convincing the National Board to allow the Excel and Jr. Excel Clubs to be formed in schools throughout the country.
He was also involved with Family Connections, Haverhill Community Television, where he was the host of "What's Happening Haverhill," The Haverhill Community Violence Coalition (HCVC), served on the Essex County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Board, and served on the Board of both Sacred Hearts School and Merrimack Valley Hospice.
Rick was the Advisory Board Chairman for the Haverhill Salvation Army and was the co-founder of the Haverhill Salvation Army Christmas Castle. He received awards from the Salvation Army for Community Service to others, the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award, and was a recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Yankee Clipper Council Boy Scouts of America.
A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 20 years, Rick was a past president of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters, served as vice president of Marketing and Public Relations for the Northeast District, and served as chairman of three Barbershop Conventions at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, receiving the Greater Merrimack Valley Ambassador award. He was the recipient of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters Barber Shopper of the Year award as well as the Patriot Division Barber Shopper of the Year.
Rick once told me that in his "younger years", he wanted to be a lot of different things but Funeral Director sure wasn't one of them but after having been in the funeral services, he couldn't imagine doing anything else. "Best decision I ever made" he said. He told me that even when he would get a call in the middle of the night, to go pick up someone who had passed, he loved his job. He felt that he was truly making a contribution to the community in the very best way imaginable.
He was right, he did make an incredible impact on more people than he knew.
Rick was born in Lowell, Aug. 7, 1950, he was the son of the late R. Allen and Florence L. (Grady) Barry, Sr. He attended St. Michael's Grammar School and graduated from Lowell High School, Class of 1968.
During the Vietnam War, he served in the United States Navy. Rick was employed as a manager of the former Service Merchandise in Bradford, Somerville and Natick.
A funeral director for over 35 years, Rick began his career in 1976, working at the McKenna Funeral Home in Lowell. Since 1989, he had been an integral part of the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes, Haverhill and Bradford.
While at H.L. Farmer & Sons, Rick was instrumental in developing the H.L. Farmer & Sons Bethany Bereavement and Resource Center, presented programs at various schools in the area that were coping with sudden deaths and assisted in developing a campaign teaching students about the dangers of drunk driving.
Extremely active in the community, he was a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club since 1997. As a member of the Exchange Club he served as Club President, New England District Exchange Clubs President and a member of the New England District Board. He co-founded the Haverhill Exchange Club's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, and also founded the Sing Out Against Child Abuse. Rick was very influential in convincing the National Board to allow the Excel and Jr. Excel Clubs to be formed in schools throughout the country.
He was also involved with Family Connections, Haverhill Community Television, where he was the host of "What's Happening Haverhill," The Haverhill Community Violence Coalition (HCVC), served on the Essex County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Board, and served on the Board of both Sacred Hearts School and Merrimack Valley Hospice.
Rick was the Advisory Board Chairman for the Haverhill Salvation Army and was the co-founder of the Haverhill Salvation Army Christmas Castle. He received awards from the Salvation Army for Community Service to others, the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award, and was a recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Yankee Clipper Council Boy Scouts of America.
A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 20 years, Rick was a past president of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters, served as vice president of Marketing and Public Relations for the Northeast District, and served as chairman of three Barbershop Conventions at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, receiving the Greater Merrimack Valley Ambassador award. He was the recipient of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters Barber Shopper of the Year award as well as the Patriot Division Barber Shopper of the Year.
Rick once told me that in his "younger years", he wanted to be a lot of different things but Funeral Director sure wasn't one of them but after having been in the funeral services, he couldn't imagine doing anything else. "Best decision I ever made" he said. He told me that even when he would get a call in the middle of the night, to go pick up someone who had passed, he loved his job. He felt that he was truly making a contribution to the community in the very best way imaginable.
He was right, he did make an incredible impact on more people than he knew.
During the Vietnam War, he served in the United States Navy. Rick was employed as a manager of the former Service Merchandise in Bradford, Somerville and Natick.
A funeral director for over 35 years, Rick began his career in 1976, working at the McKenna Funeral Home in Lowell. Since 1989, he had been an integral part of the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes, Haverhill and Bradford.
While at H.L. Farmer & Sons, Rick was instrumental in developing the H.L. Farmer & Sons Bethany Bereavement and Resource Center, presented programs at various schools in the area that were coping with sudden deaths and assisted in developing a campaign teaching students about the dangers of drunk driving.
Extremely active in the community, he was a member of the Haverhill Exchange Club since 1997. As a member of the Exchange Club he served as Club President, New England District Exchange Clubs President and a member of the New England District Board. He co-founded the Haverhill Exchange Club's St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, and also founded the Sing Out Against Child Abuse. Rick was very influential in convincing the National Board to allow the Excel and Jr. Excel Clubs to be formed in schools throughout the country.
He was also involved with Family Connections, Haverhill Community Television, where he was the host of "What's Happening Haverhill," The Haverhill Community Violence Coalition (HCVC), served on the Essex County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Board, and served on the Board of both Sacred Hearts School and Merrimack Valley Hospice.
Rick was the Advisory Board Chairman for the Haverhill Salvation Army and was the co-founder of the Haverhill Salvation Army Christmas Castle. He received awards from the Salvation Army for Community Service to others, the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award, and was a recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Yankee Clipper Council Boy Scouts of America.
A member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 20 years, Rick was a past president of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters, served as vice president of Marketing and Public Relations for the Northeast District, and served as chairman of three Barbershop Conventions at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, receiving the Greater Merrimack Valley Ambassador award. He was the recipient of the Lowell Gentlemen Songsters Barber Shopper of the Year award as well as the Patriot Division Barber Shopper of the Year.
Rick once told me that in his "younger years", he wanted to be a lot of different things but Funeral Director sure wasn't one of them but after having been in the funeral services, he couldn't imagine doing anything else. "Best decision I ever made" he said. He told me that even when he would get a call in the middle of the night, to go pick up someone who had passed, he loved his job. He felt that he was truly making a contribution to the community in the very best way imaginable.
He was right, he did make an incredible impact on more people than he knew.
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