Gerald Edward “Jerry” Barry
Saturday, July 10, 1948
Date of Death:
Monday, September 30, 2024
Age:
76 years old
Visitation
Date: Friday October 11, 2024
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home [ view map ]
Memorial Service
Date: Friday October 11, 2024
Time: 3:00 pm
Location: River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home [ view map ]
Burial
Location: Calvary Cemetery in Chatfield [ view map ]
Saturday, July 10, 1948
Date of Death:
Monday, September 30, 2024
Age:
76 years old
Saturday, July 10, 1948
Date of Death:
Monday, September 30, 2024
Age:
76 years old
Gerald Edward “Jerry” Barry
Gerald Edward (Jerry) Barry was born on July 10,1948 in Winona MN to Mathew and Lois (Christopherson) Barry. He joined his sisters Sandi and Kaye in the Barry family. The family first lived in Winona and then Rushford, they returned to Winona in time for Jerry to begin his education at Jefferson Elementary School in Winona. In 1957 the family moved to Pipestone, MN where Mat had taken a job managing the Minn-Kota Credit Agency. That fall, Mat returned to teaching at Pipestone Senior High School.
Jerry graduated with Honors from Pipestone Senior High School in 1966. While in school, he was a member of the High School Chorus and the Men’s Chorus. He also lettered in football and baseball and served as President of the High School Reel Club. In Fall of 1966, he went on to continue his studies at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he eventually settled on a major in Humanities with a minor in English Literature. While in his Junior year at the U of M, Jerry took a job at UNIVAC Computer Systems in St Paul, where he learned the basic computer skills he leveraged later in life. He left UNIVAC in 1971 and subsequently worked at several computer and software firms in the Twin Cities.
In 1976, Jerry moved to Austin TX to work as a Technical Writer and Instructor at Texas Instruments. In 1979, he returned to Minnesota to start his career at IBM in Rochester.
Shortly after moving to Rochester Jerry met Maureen Halloran Allen, they were married on May 1, 1982. Jerry and Maureen and her two sons, Jeff and Jody Allen, continued to live in Rochester. In 2003, Jerry and Maureen moved to their ‘retirement’ home in Chatfield, MN. In 2019, they returned to Rochester.
Over the 28-years at IBM, Jerry held positions as Team Leader, Manager, Design Control Lead, Lead Strategist for the User Technologies Group, Technology Chief Engineering Manager for User Technologies, Product Development Team Lead, and, finally, IBM Corporate User Assistance Product Team Lead. Jerry retired at the end of 2007.
For the first several years of retirement, Jerry and Maureen wintered in Sun Lakes, AZ. They also travelled, including a one-month trip to Ireland, a three-week driving tour of Western and NW United States, and many trips to Colorado.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Maureen, stepsons Jeff of Rochester, Jody (Elizabeth) of Erie, CO, grandchildren Eden, Kaitlyn, Nicholas, and Hazel of Erie, sister Kaye (Duane) DeCrook of Jasper, MN. He is also survived by many nieces and nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Sandi Nickersen, and an infant sister and nephew Gregg Backer. He was also preceded in death by his beloved pets – Rabbit Floppy, Cat Tyke, and Dogs Lilla Van, BJ, Molly, Maude, Bailey, and Nikita (Jeff’s dog who lived with Jerry and Maureen for four years).
The family would like to share deep gratitude to Dr. Hassan Alkhateeb, Hematologist at Mayo Clinic Rochester for his intelligence, empathy and compassion. Each of those gifts made Jerry informed and valued. Lastly our hearts go out to the amazing staff at Eisenberg Hospital and Season’s Hospice, whose care provided Jerry comfort, support and dignity in his last days. The family asks for memorial gifts to be made to Mayo Foundation, specified to Hematology research or unrestricted to Season’s Hospice.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00pm on October 11, 2024 at the River Park Chapel, Macken Funeral Home with a reception to follow. The visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial of his ashes will be in Calvary Cemetery in Chatfield, MN at a later date.
Condolences
The family of Gerald Edward “Jerry” Barry has received the following condolences.
Jerry was a great friend in our high school days in Pipestone. I lost track of him over the years, and then we reconnected with an email group of 5 former Pipestone kids. For several years — over a decade or more — we traded stories and opinions. I will miss Jerry’s insights and dry wit and friendship. May he rest in peace and his family and friends be comforted by his memory.
I was lucky to work with Jerry after he retired. He worked as an independent tech writer part-time for Preventice. He was such a great guy with a great attitude. He was really enjoying life as semi-retired and looked forward to his next trip in the winter months of Minnesota. I just liked being around him. Condolences to those who loved him; there were many. Rest in Peace.
Sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure of working with Jerry @ IBM for several years. I always appreciated his knowledge and suggestions when needed. He was a very special person.
Doug Hiland
Maureen and family, My condolences to all of you. Jerry was such a kind and caring guy. I always enjoyed seeing and visiting with him in the halls of IBM. Blessings to you all!
We are so sorry to hear of Jerry's passing and we wish you and your family all the best. Prayers continue. Hugs and love coming your way.
I will always remember him as a wonderful and caring worker. I'm glad we shared an office early on. Good laughs and good times.
I think between him, me, and Denny Mitchell, we invented many ideas about information sharing. Some we got to implement, some had to wait a few years for others to realize their potential, and funding.
One time when were inventing ideas, our upper level manager Judy Kinsey had to tell us, "Look you guys, I don't want a Cadillac. I don't want a Buick. I want a wheel and a stick!" :-)
We then designed the best wheel and stick we could! :-)
Another time we were listening to someone talk about information sharing, and they repeated one or two of our ideas. We turned to each other, grinning, and he said "There are no new ideas. When did we first think of that?" :-)
This next story is mainly between Denny Mitchell and me, that happened while we were meeting in Jerry's office...
We were meeting about our program called InfoSeeker, the way to read electronic books on the AS/400.
I was the writer of the user's guide, and we had several reviews as we were forced to cut back functions because budget and time was limited ("wheel and a stick"). We had just had a review, looking thru the latest comments and function reductions. Denny asked for another review.
I answered quickly without thinking, "No F***ing Way!". One of the programmers eyes got as big as saucers, Jerry spewed coffee over his desk, and Denny just stared at me.
I smiled and said "Yes we can do that." Jerry and Denny then laughed out loud. The programmer, Cindy, was still recovering.
After that, when Jerry and I were asked for something near impossible, he'd look at me and say "NFW, right?". Then we'd go off somewhere and figure it out. 😁
Great memories. Thank you Jerry!
Jerry was a friend of mine, a good friend, a long time friend. Not only did Jerry have a sharp and brilliant mind, he had a fabulous, dry sense of humor. Jerry and I were roommates during our college days at University Of Minnesota. Over the last many years we had been, along with a few other PHS graduates, e-mail friends who shared regularly of our lives. We laughed, we mourned, and we shared the ups & downs of our lives. My good friend, you will be missed, but many memories will carry on.
May God’s Grace and Mercy light your path.
Such a fine man and friend, Jerry was, part of a group of five guys who exchanged emails and cartoons and our views on world affairs and politics. We had already begun our mourning as he slowly faded away at the end. Everyone should leave the planet loved like Jerry.
Jerry was my cousin - his Mom and mine were sisters. When we were kids saw each other a lot but in old age - I am 80 - not so much. Saw him last year at reunion and looked good. I know he had a lot of bad days. He was a good guy and will be missed. My heart goes out to Maureen they were so close.