Joseph "Skip" Barrett

Joseph “Skip” Barrett, son of Robert and Irma Cook Barrett, was born on March 15, 1934, in Barboursville, West Virginia. In 1950, he moved with his father and brother Bobby to Chapin, South Carolina, to help run Murray Lodge Fish Camp. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1952, then attended Clemson University before completing his studies at Marshall University, where he played football. His career with Shur and Company, based in Jacksonville, Florida, took him along the East Coast in sales and teaching roles. He retired in 1999 to his home on Lake Murray in Chapin.

In December 1957, Skip married Helen Cooke in Huntington, West Virginia. Helen passed away in July 1987. Together they had a daughter, Patty, and a son, Mike, who is deceased. Skip is also survived by his daughter-in-law Dorthe and grandsons Simen and Marius, who live in Moss, Norway. In November 1998, he married Janelle Turner and became a loving presence in her family, embracing step-daughters Wendy Murrah and Nancy Buntyn, along with her grandchildren Trey Harrison, Avery Harrison, Meagan Murrah, and Christina Buntyn, and great-grandson Miles Harrison.

Skip remained a devoted fan of Clemson athletics throughout his life, though he also enjoyed following Carolina games. He had a deep love of history and reading, and he generously shared both his knowledge and books with his grandchildren, who often left his home with armloads of reading material. Known for his tenacity, the twinkle in his eye, and his fierce loyalty to family, he was a longtime member of Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church and St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Chapin.

He is remembered with deep affection by all those whose lives he touched.