Shawn Justin Barr

“Now we go in peace to freer air and gentler climate” Our loving husband, father, son, brother, cheerleader, friend, and champion passed on from this earthly existence on February 15, 2023.

To quote Rumi, “I learned that every mortal will taste death, but only some will taste life.” Though Shawn’s time on earth was far too short, he lived every bit of his 53 years, and how.

Shawn Justin Barr was born November 4, 1969, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to his adoring parents, Pamela and Randy. Shawn was raised in Salt Lake, surrounded by family, friends, and adventures. Shawn loved chasing his big brothers, Bill and Brandon into all their fun (and trouble), and doling out his fair amount of loving torment to his baby sister, Amber. His wonderful Mother, Pam, always had plenty of hugs, love, and sandwiches around the house. Some of Shawn’s fondest memories were playing Church Ball and immersing himself in Scouting. A proud Eagle Scout, Shawn could not and would not stop at the 21 required merit badges. Rather, he earned in excess of 50, prompting the Bishop to sit him down and ensure he was okay. What the Bishop learned, like the rest of us, was that Shawn’s accomplishments were merely a byproduct of his insatiable desire for learning and experiencing life. The accolades were secondary.

When Shawn was 17 and a Senior in High School, his big brother, Brandon moved to Los Angeles. Not wanting to be left behind, Shawn decided to satisfy his mother’s request to graduate from High School a bit early, took the GED, passed, and hopped in Brandon’s CRX to California. Working at City National Bank on Wilshire Blvd was one of Shawn’s most formative experiences. After a year, Shawn returned to Utah and attended Dixie State. Shawn particularly appreciated the school’s tagline at the time, “Dixie: An Academic Climate”, though probably not for the reasons the school intended. While at Dixie, Shawn discovered his love of aviation and charted his course to the cockpit. After receiving his Associate's degree, Shawn transferred to Westminster College, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. Thereafter, Shawn received an internship at Barkin Aviation, flew for Air Med, Jet Charter, and Skywest before realizing a life goal of flying for a major commercial airline when he was hired at Delta in 2000. During his time at Delta, Shawn was a First Officer and later a Captain on the 757/767 as well as a Delta Flight instructor for the 757/767 out of Atlanta. Shawn was most recently on the A320 out of Salt Lake, and was looking forward to moving to the A330 out of Seattle.

Shawn married his college sweetheart, Jennifer, in 2005. Though they later divorced, they remained friends, and Shawn was grateful for the time together. In 2015, Shawn was introduced to Erin, and they embarked on a life full of adventures. They married in the Tuscany region of Italy in 2018. People were often either in awe of or annoyed at their adoration for one another. As a friend recently said, they had the BIG love. In 2020, against all odds in what can only be described as a miracle, their beautiful son, Jack Justin was born. Shawn and Jack were quite literally inseparable from the moment Jack was born. While Mom was acceptable, Jack knew that the most fun, special, and exciting place to be was at Dad’s side whenever possible.

Shawn pursued everything he was interested in with gusto and intensity. This included (but was not limited to): golfing, classic car collecting/restoration, real estate development/investment, cycling, skiing, fishing, exploring, reading, and learning. In 2019, Shawn had the great honor of partnering with his dear friend to open Bonneville Speed Shop, a full-service car restoration business. Among Shawn’s many talents, he had a talent for helping others pursue their goals, chase their passions, and banish their doubts. He did his best to cherish and nurture all his relationships, which was remarkable given the many friends and loved ones he had. Shawn spent his entire life trying to take care of and provide for others. We wish he could have felt even a fraction of that during his time on earth.

Shawn is survived by his adoring wife, Erin and their 2.5 year old son, Jack. His mother Pam, siblings, Bill (Lora), Brandon (Janice), Amber (Mike) and step-siblings Gordon (Sheila), Tracie (Mykel), Jannae, Launa (Mike), Victor (Jan), Angela (Matt), Camille (Brian), Alisa (Carie).

Shawn is preceded in death by his father Randall Barr, step-father Larry Bryson, step-mother Joann, “Aunt” Margie Yribar, and many, many other loved ones, too numerous to name.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, February 23 from 6:00-9:00 PM at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East. Guests are encouraged to use the parking and entrance on the north side of the building.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the 529 education fund set up for Jack. The link for donations is listed above.

Our lives will never be the same—our brightest light has gone out. We hope we can make Shawn proud in our interactions with others and our desire to always be kind and do better. Rest in peace, my love.