News
Dick Barrett, CPCSM Member and Former Board
Member, Passes Away Suddenly on Christmas Eve
CPCSM lost a dear friend and supporter on December 24th,
when Dick Barrett passed away suddenly at his home as his family gathered
with him for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. We, the members
of CPCSM's leadership team, would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy
to Dick's family during their time of great pain and loss.
We would especially like to extend our condolences to Dick's wife, Beverly,
CPCSM's current board secretary who also served on the board in the
mid-80s with Dick at her side, and to his son Craig, who played a pivotal
role in CPCSM's safe staff training with local Catholic high schools
during the late 90s.
Please join us in our prayers that Dick will experience heavenly joy
as a culmination to his life of loving and dedicated service -- not
only to his family but also to the thousands he ministered to as a deacon,
a chaplain for the St. Paul Police Department, and a lecturer and counselor
to other families with GLBT children or those who had lost a child to
murder.
Also, please pray with us for Dick's family and his other loved ones.
May they feel the healing embrace of the Holy Family and find peace
and consolation as they grieve the loss of this loving and dedicated
man.
DJMc.
The following story appeared in the St.
Paul Pioneer Press on December 27, 2001.
ST. PAUL: OBITUARY: Dick Barrett, 72, dies; he counseled murder victims'
survivors
Dick Barrett, who became a church deacon and police chaplain
after one of his sons was murdered in 1984, collapsed and died at
his St. Paul home as his family had gathered for Christmas Eve. He
was 72.
Barrett was well known as the founder of the St. Paul chapter of
Parents of Murdered Children and helped found the city of St.
Paul's Victim Intervention Project Institute.
In 1984, Barrett's son Dennis, 20, was stabbed to death at a party
a few blocks from the family home in the Macalester-Groveland
neighborhood.
Barrett was depressed for a time after the murder but resolved to
put his grief to a good use.
"It was something that changed his whole life," said Barrett's
wife,
Beverly.
After founding the local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children,
Barrett and his wife became deacons at their church, Holy Spirit
Catholic Church, and he became a chaplain for the St. Paul Police
Department.
He often comforted families after a homicide, suicide or natural death.
"The fact that he went through this himself made him a good candidate to be with others in their grief," his wife said.
Barrett was a former president of Local 35 of the International
Union of Operating Engineers and worked 25 years as an
operating engineer and supervisor at the Metropolitan Waste
Control Commission before retiring in 1993. He was also active in
Democrat-Farmer-Labor politics and was a former Ramsey
County DFL chairman.
He was a 1947 graduate of Cretin High School and a member of
the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
As deacon of the church, Barrett's primary ministry was funerals,
and he was very active in funeral planning, his wife said. "As
much
as he fussed about other people not making funeral plans, he
didn't, either," she said. "He was very optimistic he was
going to
live to 90."
In addition to his wife, Barrett is survived by children Paul, Mark,
Ann, Brian, Joan, Neil, Roy and Craig; brothers Erv, Jerry, Bill
and Larry; sisters Annamae Hogan, Mary Weldon, Colleen
Lindberg and Rita Hegel; and 10 grandchildren.
Visitation is from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Holy Spirit Catholic
Church parish ministry center. The funeral is 10 a.m. Saturday at
the church. Burial is at Resurrection Cemetery.
The official obituary, also from the December 27th issue of the
St. Paul Pioneer Press, follows next.
Barrett
Warren Richard (Dick), age 72 of St. Paul, died suddenly on
December 24, 2001. Preceded in death by parents, John and Ann;
brother, John; and son, Dennis. Survived by wife of 45 years,
Beverly; children, Paul (Nancy), Mark (Deena) of Oregon, Ann,
Brian (Katy), Joan (Greg), Neil (Rick), Roy and Craig;
grandchildren, Sr. Marie Ange, Paul, Rose, Adam, Laura, Emily,
Jennifer, Nicole, Sarah and Jessica; also great grandson, Joseph;
siblings, Erv (Bev), Jerry (Rose) of VA, Annamae (Vern) Hogan, Bill
(Diane), Mary Weldon of CA, Colleen (George) Lindberg of SD,
Larry (Mary), Rita (Ray) Hegel, mother-in-law, Estelle Braun; and
many nieces and nephews. Dick was a graduate of Cretin High
School in 1947, member of A.O.H., union member of Local 36
starting in 1950, 45 year member of the Holy Spirit Men's Club,
Chairman of Ramsey County D.F.L., MWCC, founder of Local 35
I.U.O.E. and St. Paul Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children
(P.O.M.C.), Deacon at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, President of the
Deacon's Council, St. Paul Police Chaplain, and a member of the
Victim's Intervention Program. Mass of Christian Burial 10AM
Saturday at HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC CHURCH, 512 S. Albert
St. at Randolph Ave., St. Paul). Visitation 2-8PM Friday at the
COMMONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MINISTRY CENTER, 515
So. Albert St. (west side). Interment at Resurrection Cemetery.
Memorials preferred to donor's choice. Arr. O'HALLORAN AND
MURPHY FUNERAL HOME 651-698-0796.