Roger Moore Barr

Roger was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on September 25, 1934, son of the late Dr. Joseph Barr and Doris Blackshaw Barr. He later lived in Washington DC (1942-1945), Fair Lawn, NJ, Ramsey, NJ and Upper Saddle River, NJ before moving to Sarasota in 2008. Roger graduated from Paterson Eastside High School, obtained a BS degree from New York University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickenson University. Roger was a varsity level track athlete throughout high school and college and became a nationally ranked long distance race walker.

Roger worked as an industrial engineer at Bendix Aviation, Eclipse Pioneer Division, Teterboro, NJ, then as a standards engineer at the Ford Motor Company, Mahwah, NJ. He was a senior computer programmer analyst at the System Development Corporation (SDC) of Santa Monica, California, where he worked on the Strategic Air Command Control System and the National Air Defense Control System. He also worked at the Western Union Corporate Office in Mahwah, NJ. His longest and final career was as the Bergen County 4-H Agent for the Cooperative Extension Service of Rutgers University. Roger attained the rank of full Professor at Rutgers University (College of Environmental and Biological Sciences – Cook College of Rutgers), and retired December 1993 after 25 years.

Roger was elected to the Northern Highlands Regional High School Board of Education in 1974, and served until 1978. Roger was an active member of the Saddle River Valley Lions Club since 1980, serving twice as President as well as a wide range of other offices and committee chairs, including chairman of the annual Herb Bodensiek Golf Classic. He was a Director of the CAMP YDP Board in Paterson for 10 years, serving two years as building chairman. Roger was on the Board of Directors of the Upper Saddle River Historical Society for over 20 years, a 4-H Leader in Bergen County for over 30 years, and a member of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), where he served as an executive board member of the Sarasota chapter. Roger was also an active member on the executive board of the Sarasota 4-H Foundation. One of Roger’s proudest professional accomplishments was being inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in October, 2014. Roger also loved playing golf and one of his proudest golf moments was hitting a hole in one in 2001.

He also loved doing handyman work and volunteering at Kurth Cottage at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. Roger loved every single day “living in paradise” in Sarasota, FL and especially loved his Chambery community in the Meadows.

Most of all he loved his family and friends.

Roger is survived by his loving wife Betsy of 66 years of marriage and 71 years of being together, and his three children, Deborah (Matt) Kohlbrenner of Ramsey, NJ, Janine Barr (Carl) of Lavallette, NJ and Roger Patton (Milli) Barr of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He has five grandchildren, Julie Walker, Greg Yannalfo, Dane Boggio, Briana Kohlbrenner and Hannah Barr and two great grandchildren, Kyle and Morgan Walker. He is also survived by a niece Amy (Craig) Barr Press, a nephew Jim (Sarah) Hardy and two cousins Lance Blackshaw and Marty Barolsky.

A second memorial will be held in the near future in north Jersey. When it is scheduled, information will be posted on this website.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Roger’s name can be made to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation (1515 S. Osprey Ave., Suite B4, Sarasota, FL 34239, 941-917-1286, smhf.org).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmsrobartsfuneralhome.com for the Barr family.