Raymond Albert BARROWS
Marriages
Maureen
Obituaries
Steamboat Pilot page 5A - June 25, 1987
RAY BARROWS: 1913-1987
For more than three decades, Raymond Albert Barrows quietly served the community in which he lived and worked. He was, above all, a softspoken, kind and loving man whose legacy will be the family and the city he has left. Ray passed away at his home on Monday, June 15, following a long and pain-filled illness. That he chose to die at home was symbolic of his life - sharing with his family those last moments among the treasures he valued most. The roots of his life were his wife, his children and his grandchildren. Those roots endure - spreading new growth even with his passing. He taught not with a stern voice but by example. That he could count himself a successful man is found in the deep love for him fell by his family and friends. Born in Holbrook, Neb., on May 15, 1913, he was the son of Lee and Estella Ridpath Barrows. In 1939 he and his bride, Maurine, moved lo Los Angeles, where he joined the war effort as an aircraft mechanic for Lockheed. Nine years later the Barrows headed for Colorado, stopping for three years in Fort Collins before moving to Steamboat Springs. Arriving in the Yampa Valley in 1951, Ray went to work for Stevens-Chesney Chevrolet garage and, for several years, as a mechanic for Fairchild Aerial Surveys, traveling from Canada to South America. In 1953 the family moved into the home at 24 Maple where they have lived for 34 years. The move came two years before Ray owned his first Texaco service station. At that time, his station was located on the site of the present United Bank building. Two years later, the station was relocated west and south to 941 Lincoln. Ray continued to operate his business until his retirement in 1973. "He could fix anything," says a longtime friend. "He could also communicate easily with anyone, regardless of age or interest." "If Dad save me anything, it was a respect and love for work," says daughter Nancy. All of us spent a lot of time at the station. That's how we knew dad best. And no matter how busy he was, he always had time for us." Ray trained a lot of young Steamboat boys offering them work to earn money for school. Dennis Fisher, Ty Lockhart, Bruce Cardy, Doug Ross, Joe McGuire, Ray Fisher and dozens of others were willing trainees under this modest, principled man. Because a service station was a seven-days-a-week job, Ray had little time to become formally involved in the affairs of the town. Not a skier himself he nonetheless took off many weekends to drive junior skiers to meets in and outside Colorado. "The night before the opening of my first junior national championships in White Pass, Wash., we found ourselves without transportation. Dad got someone to tend the station and drove us all night to get there on time," recalls son Jim. "He was a good person to have around, especially for us young skiers." Because he couldn't attend in person, Ray purchased a color television to watch Jim compete in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Jim's spectacular fall on the downhill, a stunning blow to his hopes for a medal, was almost as painful for the family back home. Following Ray's "retirement," he worked for Hampden Industries. Out from under the constant pressures of owning a business, Ray filed a petition as a candidate for City Council. He served on that board with distinction for 10 years. He believed in change. He said that without growth, we will have only decadence. He also believed that change should be controlled so that the fundamental principles of the community will not be compromised. He made his planning decisions based an this philosophy. He leaves his widow; three sons, Bob Barrows of Denver, Jim Barrows of Steamboat Springs, and Joe Barrows of Denver; one daughter Nancy Gray, and four grandchildren. Preceding him in death were grandson Michael Patrick and two brothers.
Steamboat Pilot page 7D - June 18, 1987
Memorial services set for Barrows
Memorial services for former Steamboat Springs City Councilman Ray Barrows will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 19, in the Methodist Church Barrows. 74. died on Monday, June 15, after a long illness. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, friends make contributions to the Mickey Barrows Memorial Fund in care of the United Bank of Steamboat Springs. The Mickey Barrows fund is a trust established to provide new toys for Children's Hospital in Denver.
