James P. Barbour Jr., 80, of Pawcatuck and formerly of West Simsbury, died Saturday afternoon, April 22, 2006 at Westerly Hospital.
He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 9, 1925 the son of Helen Kroll Barbour and James P. Barbour, Sr. and grew up in Lima, Ohio. He served as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He graduated from Ohio State University in the College of Architectural Engineering. While in college, he met and married Mary Jean Downey in Columbus, Ohio.
Jim spent a career in construction and real estate development and was responsible for the creation of over 5000 homes for people. His projects in the Hartford area included the development of the Hartford Civic Center for Aetna, the revitalization of the Asylum Hill neighborhood, and the conversion of the G. Fox Department Store Building to loft apartments. His projects in southeastern Connecticut included the Stonington Borough School loft condominiums, the Grand Street Cluster housing in Stonington and the Windwood and Hancock Farms communities in Mystic. Jim served on the Boards of Directors of the Hartford Stage Company and the Society for Savings Bank. He served for years as a commissioner on the Simsbury Planning Commission, where he and Jean raised their four children. Jim continued with his passion for building by creating a new dream home for his wife and himself at the age of 80.
Jim will be remembered for his wonderful stories. He especially loved to chat with everyone on his construction sites. He loved to travel and saw much of the world with Jean. He was an avid reader and especially loved history.
Jim leaves behind his loving wife of 55 years, Jean, his daughter, Michele Hinman and her husband Peter of New Hartford, his son David Barbour and his wife Carin of Bridgeport; his son James Steven Barbour and Diane McGee of Kernersville, NC; and his daughter, Mary Elizabeth Upjohn and her husband Bill of Manchester. Jim will be missed by his twelve grandchildren, Heather, Chip, Jon, Chris, Mikel, Allison, Matthew, Abby, Louise, Jim, Daniel, Tom and his great-grandaughter, Sofia of Madrid, Spain.
A Remembrance Ceremony will be conducted at The Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Historic downtown Mystic on Thursday at 3pm. There are no visiting hours.
To send a note of remembrance/condolence to his family, please click the link below.