Robert K. Barr Jr., Navy Captain And Ship Survivability Expert, 76, Washington Post
DGH
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/19/AR2009021903180.html
ROBERT K. BARR JR., 76
Navy Captain, Ship Survivability Expert
Robert K. Barr Jr., 76, a retired Navy captain who was an expert on ship
survivability -- whatever could go wrong aboard a ship -- died of cancer
February 16, 2009,. at Capital Hospice in Arlington, Virginia. He was a
resident of Triangle, Virginia, in Prince William County, Virginia.
Ship survivability concerns many possible problems: fire; chemical,
biological or radiological warfare; explosions; extreme weather. Capt. Barr
wrote "The Cold Weather Handbook for Surface Ships" (1988). From 1983 until
his retirement in 1990, he was head of the Ship Survivability Office with
the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon. Afterward, he and his second
wife founded Ship Survivability Techniques, a consulting firm whose clients
were Defense Department contractors. The firm remained in business until
last year.
Robert Kenney Barr Jr. was born in West Palm Beach, Florida., and enlisted
in the Navy in 1951. He served a tour at the Damage Control Training Center
on Treasure Island in San Francisco, California, and as a chief damage
controlman on the salvage and rescue ship USS Grapple.
After completing Officer Candidate School in 1962, he became damage control
assistant and ballasting officer aboard the dock landing ship USS Cabildo.
In 1972, he was assigned to the Naval Safety Center's Surface Ship
Directorate as head of the Safety Information Division. He attended Old
Dominion University while in the Navy.
Among other assignments, Capt. Barr commanded the USS Rockville, a patrol
craft escort rescue vessel, and the dock landing ship USS Plymouth Rock, and
served as executive officer aboard the ammunition ship USS Haleakala and the
amphibious assault ship USS Saipan. He also served as the live ordnance
range officer at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.
His marriage to Shirley Barr ended in divorce.
Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Kathryn Coake Barr of Triangle; two
children from his first marriage, Victoria J. Bates of Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, and Robert K. Barr III of Gloucester Point, Virginia; two
stepchildren, Timothy L. Eads of Alexandria, Virginia, and Glen E. Eads of
Woodstock, Virginia; a brother; three sisters; and two grandsons.
--
Joe Holley