The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Thomas J. Barrier Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 3rd, 1932. He died on January 17th, 2022, peacefully in his sleep, holding the hand of his loving wife, Lorraine Barrier. He was 89 years old.

Tom is survived by his devoted wife of 22 years, Lorraine; his children, Tim, Kate, Louisa, Irene, Lara, and Patti; and stepchildren Michael and Lisa.

His daughter Jamie and son Barlow preceded him in death.

His children all were prolific and left him with 21 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Tom grew up moving from upstate New York to Long Beach, California multiple times until he and his family settled in Long Beach, California. Tom’s parents, Thomas and Irene Barrier, had four children: Mae, Louise, Thomas, and Robert. Tommy, as he was known to his siblings, was the last of his immediate family to pass.

Thomas J. Barrier joined the U.S. Armed Forces in 1953, and retired from active service in 1964. He achieved the rank of U.S. Army Captain and had a distinguished military career. His career spanned the globe with highlights in Vietnam, with his favorite posting being a POW training camp he established and ran in Oahu, Hawaii.

Tom was always a very hardworking man. Early on he owned and operated his own gas station. There he learned the customer service skills that directed his business life. In 1982 Tom formed an electrostatic painting company, Oregon Mobile Refinishing, OMR, in Portland and grew that business into a large painting company employing many. In 1997 Tom sold OMR to his daughter, son-in-law, and longtime accountant and retired to Central Oregon, where he remained until his death.

Although Thomas Barrier was a decorated Army veteran, his true pride and joy came from his family. He spent most of his active life surrounding himself with family and friends and was always the organizer for family reunions. He invested in boats, campers, and all outdoor recreational equipment so that once or twice a year his family could gather and spend time on the multiple rivers and lakes he enjoyed. He always prided himself on having the very latest in technology so that he could record every event in pictures and home movies. His family is left with a rich trail of Tom’s handsome mug spanning 89 years.

Thomas Barrier met and married Lorraine Hageman in 1999 and counts the years he spent with her as having “saved his life.” They spent their honeymoon on the back of their full-dress Harley Davidson, riding thousands of miles before settling into their retirement home in Sisters.

Thomas J. Barrier will be honored in a private family ceremony on February 27, 2022, at his and Lorraine’s family home. He will be buried alongside his daughter Jamie in San Diego, California, in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, any donations can be made to two of Tom’s favorite veterans support groups: Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, and Sisters Band of Brothers.