A man who sings in a church choir over the course of seven decades would be expected to have a passion for music. But it was in his final months that John Eaton Barrett of Brookfield, who died Monday, Aug. 9, demonstrated the depth of his love for singing. Mr. Barrett, who died of lung and bone cancer at age 87, “would go in and have his radiation and chemotherapy, and he would always sing for the nurses,” said his daughter, Kathleen Hahn. Mr. Barrett, a tenor, sang for the choir of St. Mary’s Church in Riverside for 70 years, with a break for military service during World War II, his daughter said. Born in Akron, Mr. Barrett moved to Illinois in 1935, and graduated from Riverside Brookfield High School. He was drafted in 1942. He served as a clerk in England, where he met his future wife, Cecilia Beardsworth, during a social for soldiers. “He would walk almost 10 miles when he was on leave to get to where my mom’s house was to see her,” his daughter said. They married in 1944 and his wife joined him in the United States six months after he returned from the service. He worked as a claims adjuster for Western Electric until his retirement. His favorite songs included “You Are My Sunshine,” “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “On Eagle’s Wings.” He also loved fishing. Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Marylu Baker, Joanne Kiepura and Kathleen Hahn; a son, John Barrett; a sister, Marge Butler; and eight grandchildren. Funeral services will start at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Ivins Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., Riverside. A mass will follow at St. Mary’s, at Herrick and Cowley Roads, Riverside.
