Thomas Carl

Barry

Hume --- Thomas Carl Barry, 79, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, educator, coach, and friend, passed away on November 7, 2026, in the comfort of his home with his loving wife.

Born September 29, 1947, in Burlington, Wisconsin, to Robert E. and Marilynne J. Barry, Tom grew up with a larger-than-life personality. Known to his high school friends as “Bear,” he was an athlete, a performer, a prankster, and someone who was never afraid to speak his mind. His classmates at Lake Geneva Badger High School remembered him as someone who could make an ordinary day unforgettable, a quality he carried throughout his life.

After graduating in 1965, Tom played football at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. In 1967 he joined the Army and served his country in Vietnam before returning to Wisconsin to attend Milton College.

It was at Milton, during the fall of his senior year in 1971, that Tom met the love of his life, Lynn Sharon Axelson. They married on July 29, 1972, beginning a 54-year marriage and a lifetime of shared adventures.

After college, Tom and Lynn settled in Lynn’s home state of New York, where they raised their four children. Early in their marriage, they opened JOPOCO, an ice cream shop in Baldwinsville while Tom served as a Village trustee.

Tom began his career in education as a social studies teacher and wrestling coach in Red Creek, New York. He went on to serve as principal in Canton, assistant principal in Union Springs, principal at Elmira Southside, principal in Fillmore, and finally superintendent of schools in Andover. Throughout his career, he brought energy, conviction, and a strong personality to his work. He believed in speaking his mind, and those who worked alongside him rarely had to wonder where he stood.

Early in his career as an educator, Tom became a licensed auctioneer and practiced auctioneering while teaching, another pursuit that made good use of his natural ability to engage an audience and command a room.

Following his retirement from education, Tom continued to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. He and Lynn operated Ned’s Diner, a family business in Fillmore, serving up breakfast and homemade pulled pork sandwiches, laughing with locals, and dancing around the kitchen. He also started Sweetwater Media Group with his sons Patrick and Bradford. Never one to shy away from a new experience, Tom also spent time working as a blackjack dealer at the casino in Salamanca, New York. Whether leading a school, running a diner, calling an auction, or dealing cards, Tom brought his unmistakable personality to whatever he was doing.

A born entertainer, Tom loved an audience. His theatrical pursuits included roles in The Music Man, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, and many more. He was a leading man who could pull off any performance, playing Harold Hill in The Music Man and both Curly and Jud Fry in productions of Oklahoma!. Tom could turn an ordinary conversation into a story, a gathering into an occasion, and a quiet room into a lively one.

Tom was a man of strong convictions and seldom reluctant to offer an opinion. He could be bold, stubborn, funny, and wonderfully entertaining, sometimes all in the same. Those who knew him understood that his candor was as much a part of him as his humor and generosity.

Tom was a lifelong hunter and an avid fisherman who particularly enjoyed spending time on Lake Ontario aboard his boat, the Lucky Lynn, including his adventures in the ESLO Fishing Derby. He loved cooking, appreciated a good diner breakfast and conversation over coffee.

Above all, Tom loved his family. He was immensely proud of his children and never hesitated to tell them so. He celebrated their accomplishments, followed their lives with interest, and made certain they knew how much they meant to him. For all his many roles and adventures, being a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather brought him his greatest pride.

Tom is survived by his wife of 54 years, Lynn Sharon Barry; their four children, Ben Barry and his wife, Katie, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Patrick Barry and his wife, Carmen, of High Point, North Carolina; Star Gombos of Binghamton, New York; and Bradford Barry and his wife, Jill, of Fairport, New York. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. and Marilynne J. Barry; his brother, Bradford Stanley Barry; and his granddaughter, Elizabeth Barry.

Family and friends may gather from 11:00 am to 11:30 am on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at the Kopler-Williams Funeral Home, 21 N Genesee Street, Fillmore where a funeral service will follow at 11:30. Burial with Military Honors will be in Pine Grove Cemetery at a later date.