Horace Eugene "Gene" Barrow

Horace Eugene (Gene) Barrow, age 92, passed away on April 4, 2025. Funeral service will be held 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory in Marietta, Georgia. Interment will follow at Kennesaw Memorial Park in Marietta, Georgia.

Gene was born in Springville, Tenneessee, living most of his life in Cobb County. He was a member of the Macland Road Church of Christ. He was a Veteran of the United States Air Force.

Gene is survived by his loving wife Emma Barrow who he was married to for almost 73 years, his daughter Debbie Barrow, his son Blake Barrow (Kathy), his grandsons Jake Barrow (Courtney) and Brett Barrow, his great granddaughters Ryleigh and Reagan Barrow.

He is also survived by his sister-in-law Verbal Ballard (Jim deceased), brother in laws Roy Medlock (Anne) and Ray Medlock (Sarah) and many wonderful nieces and nephews who he loved so much. Gene is also survived by countless work, church, and other close friends all of whom he considered as family.

Gene was born on October 13 (Friday) in the Great Depression to Horace Dyer and Laura Dell Barrow. He often said that Friday the 13th was his lucky day. He was the youngest of eight (8) children who all predeceased him. He adored all his siblings and was also adored by them as the baby in the family.

Gene was a star basketball player for Springville high in1946, 1948,1949 and Sports Editor for the Annual. It was during those years when he met a beautiful blonde cheerleader the love of his life, Emma Lou Wilson. They married shortly afterwards while he was in basic training in the service. Their love was lifelong devotion for almost 73 years.

Shortly after high school, Gene enlisted in the US Air Force and was sent to Air Training Command school specializing in Aircraft Mechanics at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas receiving a Certificate of Proficiency and to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois Technical School for Aircraft Jet Engine Mechanic Specialized Course receiving a Certificate of Achievement. He thrived as a master mechanic in the US Air Force and was sent to Northern Africa during the Korean War to be the last stop mechanical service for US planes going into battle in Korea. He served four and a half years in the Air Force and was asked to stay on for officer school but decided to take his expertise to Lockheed for the next several years where he received three more specialized certificates on C-130 aircraft systems and Advanced Blueprint Readings. While at Lockheed, Gene continued his devotion to the military for another seven years serving in the Air Force Reserves at Dobbins Air Force Base.

In 1961, he and his beloved brother C.D. Barrow along with his wife Emma, decided to start a business which would become a keystone business in Smyrna known as the legendary "Barrow Shell." These two young men and woman from the banks of the Tennessee River would go on to start and build two other life-long legacy businesses in Smyrna, Barrow Body Shop and Barrow Wrecker Service. C.D. retired but Gene and Emma continued to run the businesses until they retired in September 1998 at which time they turned over the businesses to their son Blake. Blake and his sons continued to grow the businesses with the same motto that Gene served the community with, which was to always leave a good name with everyone. Gene treated everyone who worked for him or did business with him as if they were family and always looked for a way to help someone which endeared him to many generations of friends and business associates in Smyrna.

Gene was equally devoted to his church and was in the church when the doors were open, looking for someone to help. He took his communion and watched church even when he was fully disabled and bedridden. He used his incredible skills playing the mandolin to join with his close friends at church to play music for various nursing homes for several years.

He loved to ride his John Deere and enjoyed planting his garden and taking care of his yard his entire life. Each year he would plant a stalk of cotton in his garden, he said to remind him of where he came from.

Gene adored his family and always looked for ways to help everyone and make sure all were well-taken care of. He traveled for several years with his beloved wife and made memories through the country. In the last several months of health struggles he and the family were blessed to have some wonderful compassionate caregivers that made his life full of comfort and happiness, with special thanks to Sara Aguirre and Edna Pride.

The family has been moved by the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. We have been touched by the way you have talked about him, calling him a great man, a giant of a man, a one of a kind, a wonderful loving man, a great Christian man, a wonderful boss and friend. What we have seen in every visit, text, email, or phone call that sum up his life are three words, "he helped me." We often wondered why we had to share him with so many, and now we know why.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm at West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory.