Thomas Zuber Barr, 65 years, died at 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at his home in Fort Madison, Iowa. He was born March 5, 1958, the son of James W. and Charlotte A. (Zuber) Barr. Twenty eight years ago, on March 20, 1995, he married Deanna Agnes Holtkamp. They had two children, Elizabeth and Joshua.
Tom was a 1976 graduate of Fort Madison High School. He graduated from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in 1980. He was a funeral director and embalmer for 43 years. He began his career in Texas, and he worked in funeral service in Boston, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati before returning to Iowa to join the family business, Barr Memorial Chapel. Tom was a third generation funeral director. He and his wife, Deanna, have owned and operated the Barr Memorial Chapel, Fort Madison and later opened, Barr-Holtkamp Funeral Home, West Point. This year Barr Memorial Chapel celebrates 65 years of service to the community, with Tom and Deanna owning and operating the funeral home for more than 25 years. Tom’s religious foundation began at the First United Methodist Church, and later he was a member of Holy Family Parish. Throughout the years, he had been a member of several local organizations. Tom loved Rock & Roll and New Wave music, and enjoyed owning and restoring vintage corvettes. He was the family “story teller,” and he will be missed greatly.
Tom is survived by his wife, Deanna Barr of Fort Madison; two children: Elizabeth (Sawyer) Krotz of Marshalltown, Iowa and Joshua Barr (Alexia Lantry) of Fort Madison; three sisters: Carolyn Krone, Kathleen Meardon, and Margaret (Pete) Eicher; his mother-in-law, Mary Jane Montgomery; brothers and sisters-in-law: Perry (Terri) Holtkamp, Dora (Ron) Bentler, and Glen (Coryl) Holtkamp; numerous nieces, nephews: Sarah, Sam, Cara, Cassie, Jasper, Nick, Jason, Jack, Elyse, Andrea, Levi, Amanda, Clayton, Brandon, Dillon, Nichole, Kalvyn, Justin, and Trevor; other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Alexander and Victoria Zuber and Jack and Lila Barr; parents: James and Charlotte Barr; uncles, Michael M. Barr and Walter Barr; and brother-in-law William “Andy” Meardon.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14, 2023 at the Barr Memorial Chapel, where a Christian Wake service will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 15, 2023 at Ss. Mary and Joseph Catholic Church, Holy Family Parish, Fort Madison, with Reverend Joseph Phung as Celebrant. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, Fort Madison. A memorial has been established for Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice. An online guest book can be found at www.barrmemorialchapel.com.
