John Barrows, 89, of Hingham, MA passed away on March 25, 2018, while at home surrounded by family. He is survived by his three sons John, Peter and Tim, his six grandchildren, and his younger sister Helen Epps.
Jack, as he was known by all, grew up outside of Detroit and was the first member of his family to go to college. He ultimately earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. His career interests alternated between academia and business. He taught mechanical engineering at Michigan and Cornell, headed up applied research at Carrier Corporation, and started a new program at Syracuse University in manufacturing design.
While trained as an engineer, he loved reading history and, in later years, studying the historical roots of Christianity and Islam. He was a devoted husband to his wife Carol of 59 years, who predeceased him, and an engaged father who never missed a sporting event.
A service will be held later this spring. Donations may be made in his name to ovarian cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6 th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445.