Lt. Col. Frederick E. Barrett, Jr., U. S. Army Ret.

Lt. Col. Frederick "Fred" Enster Barrett, Jr. (U. S. Army, Retired), 87, was born in Worchester, Massachusetts June 10, 1920. Fred joined the United States Army and retired after 21 years of active duty. He served in 7 campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Central Europe, Rhineland, and Korea where he earned 14 metals and 4 overseas bars including the silver star, the bronze star, and the Purple Heart. Fred’s last assignment was Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. After retirement, Fred became Manager of Texas Employment Commission. Fred fell in love with the Gulf Coast as a young man while being stationed at Camp Shelby and said he had always hoped to retire there. God must have smiled on Fred because he never told his family this desire, but in 1975, Fred's daughter married a boy from Biloxi. So it was soon after, that Fred fulfilled his youthful desire to retire on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His last Biloxi home was the St. Charles Condominiums. In Biloxi, Fred and Betty were members of the Biloxi Elks Association, volunteers for the Red Cross at Keesler Air Force Medical Center, and members of First United Methodist Church. Fred loved living near the ocean until Hurricane Katrina took his condominium, and they moved to The Terrace at First Colony in Sugarland, Texas. Fred is survived by his loving wife of 60 years of marriage, Betty; his daughter, Janie O’Keefe and her husband, Jim, of Long Beach; his son, Rick Barrett and his wife, Ruth, of Sugarland, Texas; and 7 grandchildren, Kellie O’Keefe, Kevin O’Keefe, Courtney O’Keefe, and Caleb O’Keefe of Long Beach; Chris (wife Hannah) O’Keefe of Gulfport; Will (wife Miranda) Barrett of Katy, Texas, and Dawn Barrett of Austin, Texas. Funeral services will be Friday, March 7, 2008, at 12:30 p.m. at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 2511 Pass Rd, in Biloxi where friends may visit one hour before service time. Interment will follow in Biloxi National Cemetery with full military honors.