David was born November 14, 1954, in Kansas City, Missouri to David William Barry and Margaret A. (Toussaint) Barry.
David served in the United States Air Force (USAF) and was recognized as the youngest Staff Sergeant in the force at the time. He returned home and joined the Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD). He was especially proud of joining the KCFD as a Firefighter and later as the first Hazardous Materials Responder for Kansas City. He was instrumental in the development of Kansas City's HazMat team.
He became involved in environmental engineering and moved to Atlanta where he was recruited by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as Chief Emergency Response for the Agency of Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR). David and his team were responsible for the management of man-made or natural disasters that had the potential of exposing the public to hazardous materials.
David is survived by his wife Margo Barry, three (3) sons and their families; David W. Barry, his wife Lisa and children Noah and Maya from Richmond, California, Kevin S. Barry, his wife Hannah and their daughter Evelyn from Auburn, Georgia, and Daniel P. Barry from Castle Rock, Colorado. In addition, David has four (4) sisters; Michelle Davis, Denise Sullivan and Jane Oyler from Kansas City and Kathleen Jacobs from Atlanta, GA.
He was preceded in death by his parents David W. and Margaret Barry, his sister Bridgid Barry and his brother Dennis Barry.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the IAFF Local 42, 6320 Manchester Avenue, Suite 42A, Kansas City, MO 64133; http://www.iaff42.org/
A casual celebration of David's life will be held from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Sand Trap located at 13037 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64145.
