Jerry Lynn Barber

Jerry Lynn Barber, age 83, passed away peacefully on August 04, 2024 at Merit Health River Oaks surrounded by his family. Visitation will be August 8 from 9:30 to 11:00 am at Parkway Funeral Home on Highland Colony Parkway with service at 11:00 am. A private family graveside service will follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.

Mr. Barber was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Rebekah Browning Barber; his parents, Henry B. and Maggie S. Barber of Hazlehurst, MS; his brother, Henry B. Barber, Jr. of LaJolla, CA and his sisters, Carolyn Guynes of Hazlehurst, MS, and Laverne Little of Cleveland, MS.

He is survived by his daughters, Cynthia Barber Evans and her husband, David A. Evans, III of Oxford, MS and Beverly Barber Oden and her husband, Dr. Gregory S. Oden, of Ridgeland, MS. He leaves behind five grandchildren: Gregory, Preston and Josh Oden and David and Annelise Evans.

Mr. Barber was born September 7, 1940, in the Shady Grove Community in Copiah County, Mississippi. He graduated from Hazlehurst High School in 1958 and Mississippi State University in 1962.

After graduating from Mississippi State, he was employed by the Boeing Company’s Aerospace Division in Huntsville, Alabama. At Boeing, he was on the engineering team that designed the Saturn V rocket that placed the astronauts on the moon in July 1969. While at Boeing, he was promoted through the ranks until he became the manager of the Flight Dynamics Simulation Group. His name is listed in the Apollo/Saturn V Roll of Honor in the Library of Congress and Smithsonian.

In 1971, he and his family returned to Mississippi. He joined the then Mississippi Motor Vehicle Comptroller’s Office where he was director of the Computer Division. While at Motor Vehicle, he was instrumental in establishing the decal/permanent tag law which to this day still benefits every Mississippian that owns a vehicle.

In 1979, he joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center as Director of the Information Systems Division. He held that position until his retirement in 1997. He was responsible for establishing a modern computer center at the UMC Campus and oversaw the computerization of many divisions such as the Clinical Laboratory and Pharmacy.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Federal Credit Union and served three terms as Chairman of the Board. He was actively involved in the building of the present Credit Union building on the Medical Center campus.

In 1976, Mr. Barber and his wife, Rebekah, began investing in real estate properties. Over time, the business grew to include apartment complexes in Clinton, Jackson and Yazoo City. One of the proudest accomplishments to Mr. Barber’s life was that he and his wife were able to provide first rate, affordable, safe housing to so many people in the community, especially the elderly. Over the years, Mr. Barber was very successful in his real estate ventures. When he reached the age of 70, he decided to sell the apartment business so he and his wife could spend more time together.

Mr. Barber and his wife were very compatible and enjoyed their time together. They often gave thanks for finding each other in life. They traveled extensively throughout the world and United States. Collecting find antiques was a shared passion of theirs and they spent many hours on quests traveling and attending auctions.

Mr. Barber was an avid reader. He was well-read on a wide variety of books, especially historical subjects and biographies.

He was a member of Madison Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Madison Methodist Church or CARA (Community Animal Rescue and Adoption, Jackson, MS).