Obituary of Barrey Lee Hall

Mr. Barrey Lee Hall, 71, died January 27, 2018 at his home, surrounded by his family.

Barrey spent his early years in a small town in upstate New York where he developed a deeply-entrenched love of nature, an insatiable desire to figure out how things work, and an aversion to shoveling snow. He joined the Army right after high school with just one request to his recruiting officer – a warm duty station. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam in Special Forces and ended his military career as an MP on Fort Bragg in Fayetteville. He attended the University of North Carolina and then began a career in construction. In his 40+ years in the area, he renovated and restored many distressed homes, developed customized furniture and cabinetry for individuals and commercial applications and earned a reputation for excellence in his work. He was a problem-solver, and was happiest when he was able to fix something that confounded others. Examples of his craftsmanship can be found in almost every area of the community.

Barrey believed it was divine intervention that led him to an auto parts store in Chapel Hill on October 6, 1983, where he met his future wife, Pat. They fell in love quickly and Pat never again had to attempt her own auto repairs after meeting him. They were married in February 1984 and Barrey became an integral part of an extended family that included numerous brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and, over the years, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was dearly loved by them all.

Barrey was an avid sportsman and was in his element in a duck blind early in the morning, or fishing a trout stream on any mountain, anywhere. He was a mentor for many young sportsmen; always happy to share his knowledge and help to instill a healthy respect for nature in everyone around him. He took great delight in watching his grandson develop his skills as a marksman, fisherman, hunter and tracker.

Barrey is survived by his wife 33 years, Patricia B. Hall; son, Chris Blake, and his wife, Ann; grandson, Harper, all of Hurdle Mills; and his mother, Bernice L. Hill of Missouri.

Barrey was preceded in death by his father, Lawrence J. Hall, and his sister, Karen Sloan.

A funeral service was held at Walnut Grove United Methodist Church on Monday, January 29, 2018 at 2:30pm. Officiating was the Rev. Hunter Preston.  The family received visitors prior to the service at the church from 1:00-2:15.