Barry E. Rowe Obituary (1948 - 2021)

Barry E. Rowe, 73, of Champaign, died Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. Born on August 18th, 1948 in Urbana, Barry grew up in the Chicago suburbs while working the summers at his family farm in Missouri. He graduated from East Leyden High School, then earned his Bachelors and Masters in Education from ISU. The majority of Barry's long career in education was served at Champaign Centennial High School where he enjoyed teaching chemistry and physics over two decades. He also served as the Director of Educational Technology for Unit 4 Schools and was involved in numerous consulting projects for the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Super Computing Applications. Barry was also the unofficial tech support for countless family members and friends who could always rely on Barry to help with kindness and a great sense of humor. While working with the local teachers union in 1975, Barry met his future wife, Maria Rowe (Parisi). They were married in Champaign in 1977, and raised two children together during their 44 year marriage. With his wife, Barry enjoyed traveling, sampling local wineries, and spending time with friends. He retired from teaching in 2004 and had almost 20 years to enjoy his true passion, working on cars. He was the proud owner of multiple British sports cars, as well as a Cadillac XLR. In addition to restoring cars, Barry was a long time member and former president of the Champaign County Sports Car Club where he enjoyed autocrossing and rallying. Barry is survived by his wife, Maria Rowe; son, Dave Rowe of Las Vegas, daughter Morgan Gross of Evanston; grandchildren, Quinn and Dylan Gross; and brother, George Rowe. He is preceded in death by his parents, Herschel and Lucy Rowe. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date to be determined. Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Barry Rowe to the American Diabetes Association or the Humane Society of Champaign County.