Barry Sloane

Barry D. Sloane, Engineer and Family Man

September 22, 1952 to October 14th, 2019

Barry Sloane, 67, of Lewes, DE. passed away on October 14th from complications of aneurysm.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Gillette (nee Bohannon); sons Zachary A. Sloane (Amanda) of Bellevue, PA and Jared T. Sloane (Amethyst) of Fort Worth, TX; stepdaughter Courtney A. Gillette (Emily) of Brooklyn, NY and stepson Nicholas B. Gillette (Amy) of Philadelphia, PA; brother Neil A. Sloane (Carolina) of Brooklyn, NY; and five beloved grandchildren: Axel, Llewyn, Zeta Grace, Isaac, and Ruby. Barry was predeceased by his parents Leonard and Ruth (nee Springer) Sloane and his brother Marc N. Sloane (Paveena).  He will also be greatly missed by a nephew, nieces, cousins, and an army of loving in-laws.

Barry grew up in Brooklyn, NY and worked his way through Brooklyn Tech High School, New York University, and Stanford University, where he graduated with an MS in Mechanical Engineering. The Brooklyn teen who disassembled and reassembled radios for fun in high school went on to a prestigious career that spanned four decades--thirty years at Westinghouse in PA, two years at Dominion in VA, and fourteen years at Erin Engineering and Jensen-Hughes in West Chester, PA. As an expert in risk analysis for the commercial nuclear power industry, Barry was highly respected industry-wide and has mentored many of the next generation’s engineers.

Barry was known for his brilliant mind, but even more so for his modest demeanor, thoughtfulness, and love of family. He was an archivist for the Sloane family, and recently shared his collection of ancestral photos and certificates from Germany, Russia, and Poland with the next two generations at a family reunion.

In 2017, Barry and Mary Ann built their dream house adjacent to the Rehoboth Bay in Lewes, DE, where they hosted festive gatherings of family and friends and enjoyed quiet nights in front of the fireplace. Barry rode his bike at sunrise and walked to the bay at every chance. He had an interest in alternative and indie music and played steel drums in a calypso band until 2004. His grandchildren were the light of his life. He had planned to retire in March of 2020.

On November 9th, a memorial service will be held at The Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382. Visitation to family is from 9 am to 11 am. The memorial will begin at 11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Barry to Habitat for Humanity at http://habitat.org, Doctors Without Borders at http://doctorswithoutborders.org, or to Feeding America at http://www.feedingamerica.org.