Audrey June Clark Barr

Aug 23, 1935 -

Feb 13, 2020

Audrey Barr passed away on Feb. 13, 2020, in her home at Somerset Retirement Apartments in Longview, Wash., after a short illness with cancer. She was born in North Bonneville, Wash., to parents Clarence Clark and Doris Burghduff Clark, who both preceded her in death. Her family moved to Longview in 1945, and she graduated from RA Long High School in 1953. She married James Edwards in 1956. The family, with kids Wylie, Jimmy and Leslie, moved to Alaska in 1966, where Audrey lived for the next 50 years. Audrey met John "Jack" Barr and they married in 1981 and remained married until her death.

Audrey worked in the paper mill industry in Longview and was the first woman Buyer for Longview Fiber and worked as the alternate Purchasing Agent when needed. She worked for Standard Oil/BP in Alaska as the HR Superintendent and began when it was a tiny office in Anchorage, Alaska. Audrey was a successful businesswoman in a time and in industries that were very much male-dominated. A now defunct magazine called Working Woman did an article about women working on the North Slope in Alaska in which they quoted "Audrey was the highest ranking, highest paid and longest-term U.S. employee for British Petroleum."

Despite Audrey's business success what she took the most pleasure in was providing support, advice and encouragement as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She always enjoyed large get-togethers, family barbecues and the many friends that would come to visit and enjoy the rewards from the Kenai River at the front of their home in Alaska. Her and Jack spent many years traveling and wintered yearly in Hawaii, Mexico or Arizona. Anyone who asked could count on Audrey to help without any expectations for reciprocation. She was selfless!

Audrey is survived by her husband of 39 years, Jack Barr of Anchorage; sister, Reathal Cedarbloom of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; three children, Wylie Chandler (Doug) of Soldotna, Alaska, Jim Edwards (Somatra) of Beaverton, Ore., and Leslie Abe of Vancouver, Wash.; three stepchildren, Murray Barr (Liz) of Anchorage, Terry Barr (Cindy) of Anchorage and Barry Barr of Anchorage; four grandchildren, Lindsey Wolfe, Samantha Ness, Joshua Abe and Jesse Abe; and five great-grandchildren, Collin, Kylie, Zachary, Cody and Kaitlyn, all of Soldotna. A memorial is being set aside for the future in Soldotna.