Brandon Bertold Barrow

Brandon was born on July 1, 1980, at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, California, to his parents Clyde and Sheri Barrow. He was – as his mother described him to his Godmother, Patricia Vasquez, “The most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen in my life!” Brandon’s early days were being known as the best dressed baby boy in Mission Viejo, his first home. Oddly, that description stuck with him his entire life.

Brandon moved with his Mom to Tucson when he was a very young, and he was curious about everything early on. When he was 4, he walked into the living room, pointed to the TV and said, “That’s Preg-a-dence Reagan over there! He learned to read early, enjoyed school and we noticed that starting in 5th grade, he always walked out of Schumaker Elementary surrounded by at least 5 girls.

He was quite a basketball player and the high school coaches were drooling over this tall kid who had set a record 7 3-pointers in a league game at Udall Recreation Center. His career was derailed when he was diagnosed with disseminated cocci (a more dangerous form of Valley Fever) that had created a pea-size hole through the bone in his hand. Doctors were concerned he’d permanently injure his hand.

An interesting fact about Brandon: After buying all the paper, #2 pencils, erasers and electric pencil sharpeners a kid could need to do their math homework, Brandon insisted on doing his College Algebra in red ink driving his mother nuts! When asked why he would not use the pencils provided, he said, “Mom! Will you just let me do my homework the way I want to?” [What his mother didn’t realize until much later in life, Brandon was just like her!] His teacher laughed and explained that Brandon sees an algebraic problem develop in his head. Most people have to write out the problem, work out the calculations, erase, start over, etc. He visualized the problem, the calculations and the answer. The teacher advised, “He’s just got a special talent. Don’t worry about it. Pick your battles!” Brandon noticed early on that his nephew Dominic had the exact same talent and nurtured it giving him complicated algebra problems they enjoyed doing together. He spent a lot of time visiting his nieces and nephews and there are thousands of pictures of them with him. Uncle B always made it a point to be involved in his nieces’ and nephews’ lives--he loved kids and was so incredibly good to them. They loved their Uncle B.

Brandon attended Central Arizona College where he studied Business. He developed his fashion sense working for Mr. Rags. He went on to work as a Legal Assistant at Dun & Bradstreet and later at Bursey & Associates. Most recently, Brandon worked for Enhanced Openings where he was committed to becoming top seller and moving his way up in the company. He achieved Top Revenue Producer just this past December 2020 and was so proud. He was a brilliant sales rep, loved talking to anyone and could sell any product or service to anyone! Seriously!!

Life went by, and many years later after high school, 22 years to be exact, in August 2019 Brandon reconnected with an old friend from Magee Junior High and Sahuaro High days--Lisa Marie Little (Perdomo). And then it happened: Brandon and Lisa fell in love at first sight that first night they hung out and he knew his whole world had changed. Lisa and her daughter, Olivia, became the loves of his life. Through shared pictures on social media throughout the pandemic, all were able to see and feel their true love for one another. They were each other’s soulmates, lovers, best friends, and did anything and everything together. Their love was so powerful because of mutual respect and understanding that came from putting God right in the center of their love. On Valentine’s Day, Brandon got down on one knee and proposed to Lisa--she said yes! They were to be married on the beach, just the two of them, this May in Florida. He was excited and so happy to start a new life with Lisa and her daughter Olivia.

Brandon was blessed with grandparents! He was preceded in death by his maternal Grandparents, Chuck and Jeannie Farrington, Grandparents Reginald and June Barrow, “Gama” Bonnie Holt, Grandma Pat Horton, and Grandparents Walter and Lillian Hill. The sudden untimely loss of Brandon's first little brother Jared Hill 6 years ago shook Brandon deeply along with his entire family. However, Jared is being reunited with Brandon, and they are being interred together, running buddies, side by side once again.

Brandon is survived by his parents, Sheri and Wendell Hill, and Clyde Barrow, his youngest brother Chad Hill, Auntie Sondra Farrington, grandfather Ernest “Pop” Horton, sister-in-loves Samantha Lopez, Tierra Anderson, Katie Clemins, Aunt Helen Smith, a host of aunts, uncles and cousins, 8 nieces and nephews (Dominic, Jaianna, D’Angelo, Kyson, Dez, Eliza, Chad, Jr., and his baby niece Leiliana who was most content sitting high on the shoulder of her 6’4” Uncle B), and, of course, his beloved bride-to-be Lisa, and her daughter Olivia.

There are several ways to honor the memories of Jeannie, Brandon and Jared. Because of COVID-19 restrictions and the continuing pandemic, and in honor and memory of Brandon’s grandmother Nana (aka Jeannie) who died of COVID-19, private family services are being held on April 21, 2021, to protect our friends, especially Jeannie’s at-risk, elderly and senior friends:

• PLEASE WEAR A MASK at every event.

• April 15, 2021 at 10am| A Message from Saint Francis de Sales Parish, 1375 South Camino Seco, Tucson, Arizona 85710: "A Memorial Mass will be held Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 10am and all are invited: For Brandon Barrow-Hill who as a Rite of Christian Initiation as an Adult (RCIA) was preparing to be baptized this past Holy Saturday night with his classmates, died suddenly, less than two weeks to the ceremony; in this circumstance, the Catholic Church offers him a baptism of desire, since he earnestly desired to become Catholic before his untimely death. Please pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his family and friends, and fiancé. May Mr. Barrow-Hill and the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen."

• April 20, 2021 6-8pm| Brandon’s parents are hosting a Skate Celebration for Brandon and Jared who practically grew up in Skate Country East, 7980 E. 22nd St., on April 20, 2021, from 6:00pm-8:00pm. (BRING ANY PICTURES you have of Brandon to add to a clip display!) The Skate Celebration is a private party and the rink is open only to our guests at that time. We are close to maximum signups for the first 100 people, free admission and skate rental, however, if you missed out on the first 100 signup, you can still skate with us for $5.00 per person and skate rental (no cost if you’re not skating), however, YOU MUST BE ON THE GUEST LIST for admittance. PARENTS MUST ACCOMPANY AND SUPERVISE THEIR CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES. Please email Brandon’s mom Sheri Hill at [email protected] for more information and to be added to the guest list. Brandon wanted an annual family skate party:

“This one’s for you, B!”

• April 21, 2021 8:30am-9:30am| There will be a drive-by event (thanks to the brilliant thinking of Brandon and Jared’s Uncle Tony Hill) at East Lawn Palms Mortuary and Cemetery, 5801 East Grant Road, Tucson, Arizona 85712, on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, between 8:30am-9:30am. This will be a first at East Lawn; we hope other funeral homes pick up on the idea. You’ll be able to pay your respects to Brandon, his grandmother Nana, and his brother Jared, all of whom will be celebrated at the same time with their pictures and urns on display under an East Lawn Palms green tent as you drive by. (Use the main entrance onto the East Lawn property from Grant Road and you will be directed toward the tent.) Sympathy cards will be accepted there as well as you move past the tent.

• April 21, 2021 10:30am| The family service will be livestreamed on Facebook Live http://www.eastlawnpalmsmortuary.com on April 21, 2021, at 10:30am. The link will be available for the service at 10:20am. The livestream will also be uploaded to the www.mem.com website under Farrington Family.

Though the Farrington Family site is currently under construction, please stop by www.mem.com soon and leave a message and share any photos you may have with our loved ones. Due to COVID guidance, there will be no repast following the service.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers and in honor of our beloved mother, VELMA JEAN “JEANNIE” FARRINGTON, we suggest that you get vaccinated (now open to age 16 years and up), continue wearing masks, observing social distancing, and follow CDC guidelines and medical experts. We would rather have Mom with us, and we know personally for a fact that COVID-19 is real and deadly. Let’s end this pandemic and save lives.

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