Obituary of Frank W Barrett

Frank Barrett slipped peacefully from us on Saturday, May 11, 2019.He lived a long, full life having been married for 61 years before he was widowed.He is survived by his 5 children, 2 grandchildren, his close friend and neighbor of 50 years he called his significant other, and his cat Buddy. He will be missed by all. Frank was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1949.He was an Air Force veteran.He met his wife, Lorene, at a USO Valentine’s Day dance and they married soon after.After leaving the Air Force, he was an auto mechanic before going to work for an insurance company as a salesman and later a sales manager. His side gig was buying, repairing, and selling cars. While in the Air Force he moved around, but he has called Oregon home since 1961.He enjoyed westerns, war movies and more recently watching the Trail Blazers.These are not the measure of the man.No matter where he went, he would find people he knew.He was also a private man.He called himself “Fairly Honest Frank” and although English is his only language, he had a way of speaking that sometimes required interpretation.He would offer advice, which would be followed by a pause, and a “What?” from the listener.For example, he would say that “all Indians walk in single file – at least the one I saw did”.If you too need explanation, it means:Don’t make judgements without enough information. For many years, he has worked to keep the family close by hosting pancake breakfasts once a month initially at the VFW and more recently at the American Legion.Without making an effort, families can grow apart. He didn’t want that.I am sure that we will all think of him when we have pancakes and remember him fondly. Frank will be buried with his wife in a private family ceremony at Willamette National Cemetery on May 16, 2019.