Obituary of John Preston Barlow

John P. Barlow, Sr., 94, of Owego, New York, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 18th at the James G. Johnston Nursing Home. John was predeceased by his cherished wife of over 64 years, Jane M. Barlow, and one sister, Mary Barlow Ellis. He is survived by his three children and their spouses, John and Eve Barlow, Janet and Ross Keesler, Bruce and Kathleen Barlow: seven grandchildren, Alison Barlow, Ethan Barlow and his wife, Lucie Barlow, Sarah Keesler and her husband, Jeremiah Tamagna-Darr, Elizabeth Keesler, Missy Digiacomandrea and her husband Chris Digiacomandrea, Nicole Barlow, Stephen Barlow, four great-grandchildren, Julian, Emilia, Caleb, and Matthias; brother, Robert and his wife, Sylvia Barlow; sister, Sarah Kathryn Dragomer; several nieces and nephews. John grew up in Brooklyn, NY and Leonia, New Jersey. He was drafted and served proudly as an electronics instructor in the US Marine Corps. This service along with much work and support from Jane enabled him to graduate as an Electrical Engineer from Purdue University. After initially landing an engineering position at Bell Labs, John saw an IBM advertisement in the New York Times and he and Jane moved the family to Owego, NY where they lived for over 70 years. John was a voracious reader with many, varied interests that he pursued throughout his lifetime, especially enjoying photography and travelling with Jane, music from Mozart to bagpipes, railroads of any kind, learning a variety of languages, and studying family genealogy. John had a ready smile, a generous spirit, and a love of puns. He passed his love of learning on to the future generations of his family and (perhaps unfortunately) his proclivity to tell bad jokes. John's family would like to extend a very special Thank You to the staff of Hilltop Assisted Living and the James G. Johnston Nursing Facilities for their loving care of John. The family will receive friends Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at the Estey Munroe & Fahey Funeral Home, 15 Park St., Owego with funeral services to follow at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at Vestal Hills Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John Barlow's memory to the Alzheimer's Association, https://www.alz.org/centralnewyork or charity of your choice. Condolences may be made to John's family at www.emfaheyfuneralhome.com.