ROY PASCHAL BARRETT, 90, passed away on December 4,
2014. He coached at Ranger Junior College in 1957-58
and owned Southwest Athletic Repair Company in Ranger,
TX with Richard Henderson where many RHS classmates
worked.
Roy was born May 5, 1924, the first son of Olin and
Onie Barrett in Vernon, TX. At age 5 he was joined
by a brother Keith Wesley Barrett. Because there were
no boys in the neighborhood, He played dolls with the
girls and asked for a doll and buggy for Christmas
Mom found him down the street with baby Keith in the
buggy playing “dolls.” In a childhood reminiscent of
A CHRISTMA STORY, he rode bikes, chased the ice truck,
hunted quail, rode horses, went to the Texas Centennial
in Dallas, went to Boy Scouts, and played football, all
the while leading Mom on a merry chase and learning to
be a skillful saddle maker and shoe repairer from Dad.
At age 17, shortly after Pearl Harbor day, he dropped
out of school to join the U.S. Marines. He missed
graduation and Eagle Scout rank to become a Marine but
the last week of basic training, he fell and shattered
his right knee. Ten months later, he returned to Vernon
on crutches with an honorable discharge. In July of 1943
he met 16 year old Madge Lee Mills and with his dashing
good looks, salesman's tongue, and snappy uniform swept
her off her feet. They were married in September of 1943
and were together for 65 years. When WWII ended he ran
to the First Baptist Church & rang the bell all afternoon
and the whole family sat together with everyone in town
in church that night to celebrate the end of the war.
In 1946 he entered Hardin Simmons University on the GI
Bill. He graduated from The University of Corpus Christi
(Texas A&M at Corpus Christi) in 1950. For the next 35
years he coached football & basketball, refereed football
games, worked in the oilfield, owned his own shoe repair
shop, owned an athletic repair business, and sold insurance
or anything else that needed to be sold. After he retired
in 1978 he and Madge attended Rhema Bible Training School
in Tulsa, OK. Following both their ordinations, they co-
pastored a church in Austin, TX. When Madge's twin brother
Dee Mills needed a salesman for his oilfield dynamometers,
Roy was a natural choice so back to work he went for another
career. After a second retirement, he worked as a substitute
teacher and a shoe repairman. He could “fix” or build
anything and if he couldn't do it right, there was always
duck tape and epoxy cement. We never needed to call a
repairman when he was around.
In 1957 we were moving to Ranger, TX and sat down to rest.
Mother counted 43 moves in 14 years of marriage. They did
slow down after that, but probably averaged 2 moves a year
over 65 years. They must have liked to move. Mother got so
good, she could be packed, moved and unpacked in a week!
Daddy is survived by children Elaine Barrett Welty (RHS-1962),
Roy Keith Barrett (RHS-1966), Nancy Barrett Carter and husband
Tommy. Grandchildren Warren Snipes, Adam Carter and wife
Michelle, Sam Welty and wife Amy, Sarah Welty, Carola Carter
Locke and husband Micah, Kristina Barrett Rivera and husband
Vince, John Carter and wife Kelsey, David Welty, Michael
Barrett and wife Kara, and Taylor Barrett. These amazing
men and women have produced 16 great-grandchildren (so far.)
Daddy joins Mother, our brother Roy Paul, the great cloud of
witnesses, and the Savior who stretches out His arms and says
“I'm so glad you're here!”
WIFE: MADGE LEE MILLS BARRETT, 81, passed away on July 4, 2008.
Burial was in DFW National Cemetery. She was born in 1927.
Survivors at the time of her death: Husband, Roy; son, Roy;
daughters, Elaine and Nancy; grandchildren; great-grand-
children.