In loving memory of
L. Graham Barr

• April 29, 1923
• -
• March 05, 2009

• Share

Graham Barr, a native Orlandoan, veteran of the Battle of Gaudalcanal died Thursday morning at his home in New Smyrna Beach. He was 85. The cause of death was pneumonia. Born April 29, 1923, Barr was the twin brother of the late Gracia Andersen. His mother, Grace Barr, was a former food editor for the Sentinel. Barr grew up in the Dubsdread neighborhood of College Park and later wrote two memoirs. He excelled at golf and the sport remained a lifelong passion for him, as did tennis and bridge. After graduating from Orlando High School in 1941, Barr was attending Orlando Junior College when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7. He enlisted in the U.S. Marines, saw action at Guadalcanal but a shrapnel injury to his right hand and wrist sent him home. He wrote a column for the Sentinel, “In the Service,” in which he interviewed local soldiers, and then began his university studies at the University of Florida and later Sewanee College, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After college, he became a sales representative for hardware manufacturers and was a partner in the Perry & Barr Company until his retirement. For the past several years, Barr and his artist wife, Elizabeth, traveled often and split time between their homes in New Smyrna Beach and Highlands, N.C. He was a member of the Country Club of Orlando and St. Peter the Fisherman Episcopal Church, and a trustee of the Martin and Gracia Andersen Foundation. In addition to his wife, Barr is survived by two daughters – Gracia Barr, of Tucson, AZ and Katie Graham, of Wellington FL; a son, T. Graham Barr, of New York City; a grandson, Karey Graham, and a granddaughter, Rachel Graham, both of Orlando.  3:00PM at St. Peter the Fisherman Episcopal Church 4212 Saxon Drive New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 on March 8, 2009 (map/driving directions)