In Memoriam: John F. Barry

John Francis Barry, passed away peacefully on November 8, 2025, at the age of 93 after a yearlong battle with Leukemia. A devout Catholic, and some would call, “the mayor and sermon critic” of Holy Family Church in Rockland, he is survived by his children, Charles Barry & Tricia, Ann Barry, Joanne (Barry) Daley &; Mark, Thomas Barry &; Ann Margarette, Daniel Barry and Jodi. He is preceded in death by his late wife, Mary E. Barry and daughter, Karen Barry. His absolute pride and joy were always his 9 grandchildren, Kathryn, Matthew, Andrew, Trevor, Skyler, Marco, Riley, Dylan, and Lucas.

Born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, John grew up during the Great Depression, experienced the impact of World War II, the transformation of the city of Boston, and the era of Whitey Bulger, although according to John, no one who knew him ever called him Whitey, if you were smart, you called him Jimmy. John was the “street wise” city kid.

In 1955 he found himself overseas for the first time, stationed in Germany with the Army during the Korean War. When he returned home, he started his career as a machine designer, first at Pneumatic Scale and then at Polaroid, where he retired after 30 years of service. His claim to fame, he was one of several folks that worked on the design of the One-Step Camera, which if you are old enough to remember, revolutionized how cameras were made and how people used photography. It was the first true “point and shoot” camera and the instant production of your picture was a complete game changer. John would bring the prototype camera home and use his 6 children as test subjects before the camera was released to consumers in 1977. I am sure John (and his children) would be in the Polaroid Hall of Fame if they had one.

During his career he met the love of his life, Mary. She worked in the engineering department with him at Pneumatic Scale. They married in 1963 and moved to Rockland, MA where they resided for generations, raising a family and enjoying their grandchildren. He would tell you he was lucky to marry our mother and if you knew her, you would agree. She was the sweet, kind, socialite while he was the do-it-your-selfer, introspective type, but their differences made it work- they were married for nearly 50 years. They both enjoyed road trips, photography (he was always behind the camera) and spending time exploring Canada. He also enjoyed the incredible baking skills Mary showed off. He was known for his “sweet tooth” and specifically for his love of chocolate and apple pie.

If you saw John Barry around town (he was still driving the streets of Rockland up until the age of 91) you would know him by is scally cap (a nod to his Irish heritage) or wearing a blue or green jacket/shirt (he was color blind and always played it safe with simple primary colors-and he loved the color green) and drinking a proper cup of Canadian tea (a nod to his
Canadian roots). He would also give his opinion freely, sharp minded and up-to-date on the status of every single Boston sports team. It would be hard to tell you which sport was his favorite as he watched all the games and looked forward to each season whether it was football, basketball, hockey or baseball he was a true Boston fan.

In his 93 years in Massachusetts, he left a mark on his community. He will be remembered as John, Dad, Papa or Mr. Barry for many years to come.

The Barry family would like to thank the amazing medical teams, especially the nurses at both Dana Farber (Foxboro) and the VA Hospice and Palliative Care (Brockton) for taking excellent care of a man who had lived a remarkable life and who
remained true to himself until the end. In liu of flowers, please make donations to the Veterans Affairs Hospice and Palliative Care, 940 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA

Services for John Barry will be as follows:

Wake: Friday, November 14th 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Magoun-Biggins Funeral Home, 135 Union Street, Rockland, MA

Funeral Mass: Saturday, November 15th 9:00 AM, Holy Family Church, 403 Union Street, Rockland, MA

If you are attending the Funeral Services, please wear your scally cap or the color green. And no neck ties-that is a direct order from Mr. Barry.