Inez "Bobbie" Barry's Obituary
Inez Mary (Cattoor) (Link) Barry, known to friends as “Bobbie,” age 98, of Troutman, NC passed away on July 22, 2025 at Joyful Senior Living, an assisted care facility in the Lake Norman area. She was surrounded by her family in the months and weeks leading to her passing. Inez was born March 31, 1927 in Perry County, MO; daughter of the late Benjamin and Blanche Cattoor. She was a devout Catholic, and most recently a parishioner of St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Huntersville. Inez was a loving mother, wife, grandmother and great-grandmother, and her life was defined by devotion to family, service to others, and unwavering faith.
She was a child of the Depression, and grew up on a farm in Belgique, Missouri, with no electricity or running water. Her family marveled at the way she effortlessly adopted new technology; from email to streaming TV to Facebook Marketplace, she mastered them all. She moved to St. Louis at age 16 where she met and married her first husband and raised her family. She was widowed at age 40 with two teenage daughters, and was blessed in marriage a second time to longtime family friend Jean Barry, an incredible stepfather to Debbie and Gail.
Most of her professional career was working as an office administrator at General Motors and Zeuschel Equipment Co. Once she retired, she really went to work; throughout her life, Inez was most at ease when she had a project to occupy her. She spent many years volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Hospice, Meals on Wheels, Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, and visiting residents of assisted living homes.
Aside from her volunteer work, she enjoyed square dancing, playing bridge and Mahjong, and traveling. She visited 49 states (North Dakota missed out!) and more than a dozen countries, highlighted by trips to Alaska with her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Ken, and Hawaii with her sister Billie. She was up for anything: hot air balloon rides, roller coasters, and tree swings well into her 80s, or even learning a viral hip-hop dance for her grandson’s wedding.
At 74, she left her home in St. Louis to be closer to her family who had settled in Charlotte, NC. By her 90th birthday, she had traded in travel abroad for traveling amongst her grandkids’ homes in the Charlotte area and then was welcomed into her daughter and son-in-law’s home in Troutman.
Inez was happiest in the company of her family–so long as she was winning at cards, the food was hot, and dessert was quick to follow! She taught the joys of “running a little joker” and how to play to set the bidder. Along with gifting a crocheted baby blanket to each great-grandchild, she was a constant fixture at all their games and performances, whether on a hot bleacher at the ball field, or on the couch while the kids performed a song-and-dance routine.
Many will remember her as the peacemaker, while others loved her as a playful instigator who took pleasure in sparring. She was unsparingly generous, yet also famously frugal. She was a hard worker, and after her hands were no longer able to keep up, she continued to work just as hard keeping her mind sharp. She was never intimidated by a new challenge; leaving an example to all on how to be a lifelong learner.
She will be greatly missed by her family. She is survived by her loving daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Ken Stovesand, and stepdaughter Linda Jeulfs.; grandchildren Lara (Josh) Carson, Derek (Cara) Stovesand, Brent (Kimber) Stovesand, David (Thao) Stovesand, and Jordan Link Carson; and step-grandchildren Lynette Wucher, Wesley Johnson Jr., Susan Bohnenkamper, Denise Barry, Lisa Stewart, Don Barry Jr., and Samantha Page. Her legacy will live on in her beloved great-grandchildren Max Carson, Claire Carson, Jane Carson, KateLynn Stovesand, Sydney Stovesand, Adelaide Stovesand, Atlas Bee Stovesand, Umi Stovesand, Liam Stovesand, and Inez Grace Stovesand. She is preceded in death by her daughter Gail Marie Link, her husband of 21 years, Phelan Link, and Jean Barry, husband of 38 years, as well as her stepchildren Albert Barry, Don Barry, and Ron Barry, and her seven siblings.
The family would like to thank Gino and Jessica Francovig and the staff at Joyful Senior Living for their loving care over the past year. They gave Inez and her family comfort and dignity during her last days.
Memorial Service will be at James Funeral Home on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 1:00pm with Visitation immediately prior to service, beginning at 12:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that memorials for Inez be gifted to the organizations closest to her heart: VIA Health Partners (formerly Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region), St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Charlotte Rescue Mission.
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