Fairview resident, John Barrows died at his home on Thursday, November 5, 2009. He was 89.
John Everett Barrows was born in Bremen, Oklahoma on March 5, 1920 to John and Alberta Barrows. During the depression, his family moved west to Centralia, Washington where he attended Centralia High School. While attending high school, he met his wife Berniece Hutchins and they were married on May 30, 1940. John joined the United States Navy and served proudly during WW II. After the war, he came back to Washington where he worked in construction as an explosives assistant on White Pass. John then worked with his father-in-law and brother-in-law at the family business, B&M Garage. While there, he learned his trade of mechanics and was one of the best body and fender and machinists around. He moved to Longview, Washington and worked there for a short time before moving to Portland. He was employed in a supervisory/management capacity for Doug Hood, Exley Produce, Ringsby Trucking, Interstate Freightliners and Lasme Trucking. In the early 1980’s John and Berniece moved to Sandy and he was employed at Evergreen Stages and McKenzie Airport. Before he retired, he worked for Sandy Funeral Homes taking care of all the maintenance on the vehicles. John, with his close friend Frank Tackett, worked out of his shop at home doing maintenance on automobiles for friends and family. If it was broken, John could fix it. In 1996, they moved to Fairview and made their permanent home.
John loved the outdoors and was an accomplished equestrian. His family lovingly called him the original horse whisperer. He was an animal lover and always had a dog by his side. In John’s earlier years of his life, he attended Northwest Bible College in Seattle, Washington. He loved to fish and read Western novels. In his neighborhood if anyone needed anything fixed, John was the go to guy. Although a man of few words he enjoyed the company of his family and friends. John was a true patriot who loved his country, the American flag and all that it stood for.
John is survived by his wife of 69 years, Berniece, his daughter Ginger Pulicella, son John R. Barrows, son-in-law, George Pulicella and daughter-in-law Sharon Barrows; his brother, Raymond Barrows; five grandchildren; Anthony, Jeffrey and Erin Pulicella, Mike Barrows and Laura Bonton and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Gregory William.