Obituary
The Reverend Ralph Owens Barrow passed away peacefully at his Durham, NC home on Tuesday, November 12 after his relatively short, but quickly progressing battle with Frontotemporal Dementia. The disease first took away his vocabulary, followed by his understanding and memory, and ultimately the bodily strength and coordination that he so often used for mission trips, work around his churches or home, and any sport he was near.
Ralph was born on March 29, 1951 to Ralph Eugene and Kathleen Stephens Barrow in Prattville, AL. He and his family lived in Prattville, AL, Norwood, AL, and then Alexander City, AL until the family relocated to Mobile, AL where he graduated from Murphy High School in 1969.
After high school, Ralph attended the University of Alabama where he graduated in the spring of 1973 with a degree in political science. He was an active member of the Wesley Foundation on campus where he formed many lifelong friendships, including meeting Linda in 1971. They became best friends, fell in love, and Ralph proposed to Linda in the fall of 1973.
Ralph felt the call to full-time ministry while attending the University of Alabama. He attended divinity school at Duke University, following in the footsteps of his Alabama Wesley Foundation Director Jack Shelton. After his first year at Duke, he and Linda married on May 18, 1974 and honeymooned in Gatlinburg, TN. That summer they both worked as youth directors in Mobile, AL before moving back to Durham for Ralph to complete his time at Duke.
When Ralph earned his Master of Divinity in the spring of 1976, they returned to the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. Ralph and Linda faithfully served at Berry Parish (Samantha, AL), Bridgeport First UMC (Bridgeport, AL), Central Heights UMC and Wesley Chapel UMC (Florence, AL), Rogersville UMC (Rogersville, AL), Hewitt Memorial UMC (Albertville, AL), Fayette First UMC (Fayette, AL), First UMC of Montevallo (Montevallo, AL), Oxford First UMC (Oxford, AL), Childersburg First UMC (Childersburg, AL), and Roanoke First UMC (Roanoke, AL).
Ralph was a sincere, kind, soft-spoken person of God. His parishioners knew him to be a very humble man who cared deeply for his community and his church family. In every town Ralph and Linda served, he found a Kiwanis Club or Rotary Club through which he would tutor children at the local school or help organize efforts to build a playground. In his churches, Ralph’s true strength was pastoring, or shepherding his flock. He celebrated with families through joyous times like weddings, baptisms, and anniversaries. Then there are countless examples of him visiting parishioners in their home or hospitals for hours on end as they cared for loved ones or mourned the loss of friends or family. He honored the memory of those lost by contributing to their funerals. Ralph’s funerals were known to be deeply personal and meaningful, which warranted families to often request copies of his eulogy as a keepsake. His congregants remember his selfless acts like leaving vacation to be with them after a death in the family, traveling to visit them receiving treatment several states away, or draping his arms around them to pray in an ICU prayer chapel.
Ralph loved playing and watching any sport and was a very good athlete. He was on his high school basketball team and was a very good tennis player in college and years to come. If the church he was serving had a softball team, you would find him on the field giving it his all. He loved spending time at the golf course whether with his brother, son, or friends. After retirement to Clanton, AL, he enjoyed playing tennis several times a week with a group of friends. If he was outside with his grandkids, he would be kicking a soccer ball, playing catch with them, or racing them down the street. His nephews have fond Thanksgiving and Christmas memories with him of throwing a football in the front yard or finding an available basketball goal. He could also be found asleep watching golf or football in the living room on Sunday afternoons between church services or meetings.
He loved traveling with Linda. They took many special trips throughout their 50 years of marriage and would have treasured more time together. Some of the most memorable trips were to Orange Beach, AL; Hilton Head, SC; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; Mackinac Island, MI; Niagara Falls and Toronto; Chicago, IL; Scotland and England; St. Thomas and St. Martin.
Ralph was diagnosed in late 2019 with Alzheimer’s Disease. It became clear as the disease progressed, that he did not have a typical presenting case of Alzheimer’s. After moving to Durham, NC in January 2023, doctors in the University of North Carolina Neurology Department diagnosed him with Frontotemporal Dementia, specifically Semantic Dementia. Even as he lost the ability to communicate using spoken language, he continued to be kind, loving, and even smiling until his death.
Ralph is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Linda Frances Jones Barrow; daughter Elizabeth Barrow Vana; son Gregory Owens (Annie) Barrow; brother Michael Dean (Jane) Barrow; sister-in-law Carol Jean Barrow; grandchildren Kayleigh Frances (Dillon) Moates, Tanner James Vana, Molly Elizabeth Vana, Amelia Caroline Barrow, and Jackson Owens Barrow; great-grandchild Conrad Keith Moates; nieces and nephews Anthony (Amy) Baker, John (Paige) Barrow, Bill (Michelle) Barrow, Kathleen Barrow, Kristen Barrow, and Joanna Barrow.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph Eugene and Kathleen Stephens Barrow; and his brother, James Glenn Barrow.
A celebration of life will be held at First United Methodist Church of Montevallo in Montevallo, AL on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00pm. A livestream will be available by using this link. Officiants Reverend Jack Shelton, Reverend Reagin Brown and Reverend Jennifer Ingold Asbill will preside. The family invites you to enjoy refreshments and fellowship after the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ralph’s memory to Servants in Faith and Technology (SIFAT) or United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
