Thomas B. Barry

Thomas Bird Barry, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and dedicated educator, passed away on April 24, 2026, at his home in Hastings, Nebraska, surrounded by family. Thomas Bird Barry, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and dedicated educator, passed away on April 24, 2026, at his home in Hastings, Nebraska, surrounded by family.

Services will be at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Butler Volland Chapel in Hastings with Holden Barry officiating. The family welcomes all who wish to gather in remembrance of a life so generously lived. Burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings, NE, with Military Honors by Hastings Burial Detail. Visitation will be 1-7 p.m., with the family present 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026, and one hour before the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the family to be determined at a later date. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Thomas’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family.

Born on October 1, 1939, in Alliance, Nebraska to Lawrence and Dorothy (Bird) Barry. Thomas lived a life marked by kindness, generosity, and unwavering devotion to his family and community. After graduating from high school in Placerville, California, Thomas answered the call to serve his country, as he enlisted in the United States Air Force from 1957 to 1961. It was during this time in service that he met the love of his life, Deanne James, and the two were married in 1960 in Cirencester, England. Their union would become the foundation of a beautiful family and a partnership that continues to span decades. Following his military service, Tom pursued higher education and graduated from Kearney State College in 1969. He went on to build a distinguished career as a geography teacher at Hastings Senior High, where he shaped the minds and lives of countless students from 1969 to 1993. During the summers, he drove a bread truck for Metz Baking Co, which serves as a testament to his tireless work ethic and dedication to providing for his family.

Tom was deeply passionate about high school athletics, serving as a football referee from 1970 to 2002 and a wrestling referee from 1979 to 1985. Among his proudest achievements was officiating the first high school championship football game, held at Memorial Stadium in 1996. His commitment to education and athletics extended to his professional memberships in the National Education Association and the Nebraska Education Association. A man of intelligence, empathy, and quiet generosity, Thomas found joy in collecting coins and stamps, reading, vacationing with family, as well as attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events. Those who knew him will remember a man whose presence brought warmth and whose character inspired those around him.

Thomas is survived by his devoted wife, Deanne; his daughter, Sue Barry of Hastings; his sons, Jeff (Debra) Barry, of Hastings, and Scott Barry of Clarksville, TN; his sister Roseanne (Jack) Trindle of Omaha, Nebraska; 14 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, three nephews, one niece, two great nephews, and nine great nieces.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, father and mother-in-law, brother-in-law, as well as two nieces.