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In Memory

Gerald Curtis Barr - Class Of 1977 VIEW PROFILE

Gerald Curtis Barr

01/06/2018 obit list from Beth Berry

 

 

Gerald Curtis Barr

Aug. 18, 1958 - Dec. 8, 2007

SOUTH BEND - Mr. Gerald Curtis Barr, 49, died Saturday morning, the 8th of December.

Gerald was born on August 18, 1958, to the union of Harvester Barr and Jacqueline Barr, who survive. Other survivors include three brothers, Gregory, Gary and Glen (Marion) Barr; a sister, Gail Barr-Smith; two sons, Gerry Barr and Jeremy Barr; two daughters, Genita Barr and Gemisha Barr; three grandchildren, Jeffery Davis, Geoin Barr and Geron Barr; stepdaughters, Tawana, Tateea and Tara Brown; nephews, Keith, Ryan, Aaron and Derrick; his fiancée, Rose Ellis; and a host of relatives and friends.

Funeral services for Gerald will be held at noon Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007. Friends may come one hour prior to the services in the Clark-O'Neal Funeral Home. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery.

Published in the South Bend Tribune on December 11, 2007.

 

SOUTH BEND, IND. - December 10, 2007.

Death at chocolate plant ruled accidental.

An autopsy has revealed that the death of South Bend Chocolate employee Gerald Barr was an accident, officials said.

Deputy Coroner Chuck Hurley on Thursday said that Barr had died of "traumatic asphyxiation." The fatal accident occurred Saturday when Barr was cleaning a piece of equipment, Hurley said.

The autopsy showed that Barr had no medical problems and no drugs in his system, Hurley said.

 

Co-workers are working through grief

December 11, 2007 | South Bend Tribune (IN)

SOUTH BEND — It’s hard for Linda Antonucci to stand inside the South Bend Chocolate factory and know that, for once, Gerald Barr won’t be walking through the door.

"When one hurts, we all hurt," the packaging manager said Monday, holding her glasses inside the packaging department on West Sample Street as tears welled up in her eyes. But one of the hardest things about moving forward is that there are still few details surrounding the death of her former co-worker, the 49-year-old Barr. His apparently accidental death happened Saturday at the factory sometime between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., police said.

Barr, who typically worked third shift, was apparently cleaning a piece of equipment alone in a room at the factory when the accident occurred. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

"Right now everybody’s grieving," said Mark Tarner, company president. "And really, today’s when it’s sinking in. … I wish I could turn back the hands of time, and you can’t."

Barr's death is incomprehensible, he said, especially since Barr was very familiar with this piece of equipment.

"The chance of this happening," he said, "was in the billions to one."

Tarner didn't want to go into detail about the machine Barr was using, though he noted that it was designed to carry chocolate. Nothing like this has ever happened at the company, he said.

"Until today, it was theoretically impossible to get injured on this piece of equipment," said Tarner, who said he started South Bend Chocolate in 1991. "It's a tough thing. … I've never dealt with this in my career."

The factory's production side was shut down on Saturday, though its packaging department remained open, Tarner said. By Sunday, both sides were up and running - and grief counseling will take place today for employees, of which there are about 97 on three shifts.

"Everybody gets along here," Tarner said. "We produce a fun product … and I think people wanted to get back to that work family."

Right now, Tarner said he doesn't care who or what's to blame for Barr's death. The fact of the matter is, "a great worker died here," he said. "In this day and age, we're always searching for someone to blame."

And at this point, he added, it's hard to tell whether any changes will need to be made at the factory, which has had a strong safety record.

"I cannot see anything we do or have done in the past," he said, "(that) can be changed or altered. … I doubt anything like this will ever happen again."

For now, all that Tarner, and all of Barr's former co-workers, can do is wait for a resolution that may never come.

"The OSHA guy just left and said, 'Mark, you may never know' (what happened)," Tarner said Monday afternoon.

The reality was solemn enough to put a damper on even the strongest spirits here at the chocolate factory Monday, where many in the packaging department were keeping busy, boxing candies.

"I'm not used to this," said Antonucci, the packaging manager. "It's hard."

But amid the somber mood that hung around the factory, there stood a glimmer of joy at the memory of a man who knew how to brighten his co-workers' day.

"Rain, sunshine, snow, whatever - he rode his bike, took the bus or whatever," Antonucci said. "When we needed something, he was there."

Barr was a man who both deserved and gave respect, Tarner added.

"I'd say he was one of my favorite employees," he said. "And I'm a man without favorites."

Barr's family could not be reached for comment. He was engaged to Rose Ellis and a father of four. He is survived by numerous family members.

Funeral services for Barr are set for Wednesday at noon, with visitation an hour prior at Clark-O'Neal Funeral Home, 2702 Lincoln Way W., South Bend. Burial will be at Highland Cemetery, 2257 N. Portage Ave., South Bend.

Staff writer YaVonda Smalls: yavsmalls@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6248.

 

03/19/2022 DEC


 

South Bend Tribune



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