Richard (Rick) Barrett
Passed: March 13, 2022
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Richard (Rick) Barrett
Passed: March 13, 2022
Obituary
Rick Barrett, lifelong resident of Bellingham, died March 13, 2022 after a recent diagnosis of cancer. Son of Donald and Zynaga “Butch” Barrett, Rick graduated from Sehome High School in 1970 and married his high school sweetheart, Rhonda (Gibb), in 1975.
With his own construction company, Rick built and remodeled houses for many years. He loved the outdoors. He boated, crabbed, golfed, biked, and skied — all as a self-taught naturalist. Rick was a longstanding member of the Mt Baker Ski Patrol and an accomplished waterskier from his childhood home on Lake Whatcom. He became an avid rockhound and a proud member of the Mt Baker Rock and Gem Club, spreading joy and beauty in the form of polished rock to friends, relatives, and strangers alike. His grandkids, nieces and nephews will forever treasure “RickRocks”.
Rick had an amazing, innate ability to devise and assemble a solution to nearly any mechanical need. Using wood and rocks, from houses to treehouses, furniture to boats, Rick could build it, fix it, and re-imagine it.
He is survived by wife Rhonda, daughter Megen (David) Wright, son Bryan Barrett, granddaughters, Ashlynn and Nora, who were the joy of his life, and his sisters, Jacki Maruska and Donna Johnson.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Mt Baker Rock and Gem Club.
Please join us in remembering Rick at a Celebration of Life open house on Fri. March 25, 2022 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham.
Please share your memories of Rick in his online guestbook.
Celebration of Life
- Date & Time: March 25, 2022 (1:30 PM - 3:30 PM)
- Venue: Squalicum Boathouse
- Location: 2600 N Harbor Loop Dr Bellingham, WA 98225 - (Get Directions)
3 responses to Richard (Rick) Barrett
David Mason says:
March 24, 2022
I remember Rick and all the Barretts fondly from our childhood years on Lake Whatcom. My love and condolences to everyone in his family. He was such a good man, and I’ll never forget him.
Karl Palmer says:
March 24, 2022
My condolences to the Barrett family. I remember Rick and Randy skiing together a lot when they were on Ski Patrol and I ran the Austin rope tow. When I had Rick remodeling a bathroom, he convinced me to shove the heavy old cast iron tub out the 2nd story window. I can still picture his laughing when it stuck vertically in the soft grass. We’ll miss him.
Katie O’Neal - Hanke says:
March 24, 2022
Rick was such a cool dude. He was a man of many talents and I was always impressed by his creativity and ability to put his ideas into physical form. His spirit will carry on in both his children and grandchildren.