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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 23, 2009

J. Barrett, Bowfin Park co-founder, 89

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Retired Rear Adm. John M. “Jack” Barrett

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Retired Rear Adm. John M. "Jack" Barrett, who served in Hawai'i, was instrumental in the development of the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and was a founding director of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association, died Saturday at his home in White Salmon, Wash. He was 89.

Kristin "Kiddy" DeCoster, who also helped develop Bowfin Park, said Barrett was a good man who cherished all the volunteers who worked to create and maintain the park.

"When we started the submarine park, it was nothing but weeds and junk cars," DeCoster said.

The park, next to the USS Arizona Memorial, attracts thousands of visitors a year. It is there that Barrett prevailed over opposition to placing 51 memorials to lost submariners and subma- rines, DeCoster said.

"So I named it Barrett's Point as a joke," she said.

Barrett was born March 14, 1920, in Iowa, and grew up in Chicago and Hollywood. He graduated from Loyola High School, enlisted in the Navy Reserve in 1938 and later secured an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy by gathering hundreds of signatures on a petition. He graduated in 1943.

During World War II, he served on submarines in the Pacific, earning a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescue of a shipmate.

After World War II, he became a pilot and served in the Korean War and later as a naval test pilot.

He returned to submarines in 1952, commanding several vessels and serving in administrative positions — including commander, Service Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and commander, Naval Logistics Forces Pacific, both of which are at Pearl Harbor.

He was married to Eda Joan Odem of Texas for 61 years. They have five children and 14 grandchildren.

In 1990, he and his wife moved to Columbia River Gorge where he organized and established a memorial to all submariners on the Willamette River using the USS Blueback submarine.

Services were held yesterday in Washington. Another service with military honors will be held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., where he will be interred tomorrow.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.