Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

July 17, 2025

CHARLOTTE - John Emerson Barringer of Charlotte, NC died peacefully on July 17, 2025, at the age of 90. He was born in Rochester, NY on July 3, 1935, to Franklin Barringer and Gertrude Butz Barringer. The oldest of three brothers, he enjoyed a happy childhood in Rochester, where he attended elementary and high school and loved telling stories of those early days. He had a paper route and a variety of odd jobs, played soccer, and was an active member at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

After high school, he attended Wittenburg University in Springfield, Ohio, and where he spent some of his happiest days. He earned a letter on the swim team and joined Lambda Chi Alpha. His fraternity days added much joy and meaning to his college experience. John cherished the friendships he made there and embraced them for his entire life.

John always worked to help put himself through school. One of his jobs was as a mail carrier at the town post office. He would often have to take mail to the airport. When that happened, he was given a gun. He paid five cents for a bullet, put it in his pocket, delivered the mail, and upon return, he would surrender the gun and the bullet, and his five cents would be returned to him. In later years he laughed that he was like Barney Fife! He also worked two Summers for the New York central Railroad as a "Gandy Dancer," which had nothing to do with dancing. He was part of a team that would lay railroad tracks and then sledgehammer them into place.

John met his first love, Carol Ann Roush, at Wittenburg and they married on August 24, l957. After graduation, they moved to Philadelphia where John attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary. After his ordination he served congregations in Charleston W. Va, Chicago, IL, and 13 years in Burtonsville, MD. In 1964, John was named as exchange Pastor to Germany for the Lutheran World Federation. He especially enjoyed that assignment as his mother was born in Krefeld, Germany and he had a lifetime affection for that country. During John and Carol's time in Chicago, they were blessed with a son, Stephen Lloyd Barringer. Eventually John accepted a call to Epiphany Lutheran Church in Burtonsville, MD. He and Carol loved their time there and again made many friendships that remain to this day.

John quickly reached out to make a place for himself there. He took part in community theater and was a volunteer fireman for 12 years, He even delivered two babies during that time, or as he always said, "he played catch."

About that time, he developed an "itch" to try his wings at a second career and after much thought and research, he and Carol purchased a Little Professor Book Center franchise and decided that Charlotte, NC, was where they would set up shop. So, in 1977, the bookstore became a reality, and John enjoyed 26 years as a bookseller, until he sold the store to Sally Brewster. It remains to this day at Park Road Shopping Center, as Park Road Books, one of the few independents to survive the onslaught of the "super stores." Under Sally's leadership, it continues better than ever.

The bookstore was named "Charlotte's Best" for many years and provided so many opportunities for John. He served on the board of the Southeastern Book Association and the American Book Association and was often asked to host book events in Charlotte, such as the Queens College Book and Author events. One of the joys of the book business was the authors that he was privileged to meet and befriend, hosting many of them for signings at the bookstore, such as Pat Conroy, Ann River Siddons, Doug Marlette, Bob Inman, Jan Karon, Jimmy Carter, George McGovern, Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski, Frye Gailliard, and so many more. Introducing Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as the keynote speaker at a convention in San Francisco, was one of his greatest honors.

The bookstore also gave him a bit of celebrity. For many years he did a 15 minute book review show on WBT Radio with Don Russell and James K. Flynn, and then with Mike Collins and Henry Bogan. He would often be at a dinner or an event and a stranger would hear his voice and say, "Aren't you that book guy on the radio?" Of course, John really enjoyed those days and the relationships he developed.

Sadly, John's wife, Carol, passed away in 1988. John continued to stay busy with the bookstore and at that time joined the Charlotte Dilworth Rotary Club, where he took part in projects in Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras and Jamaica, as well as local projects in Charlotte, such as Second Harvest Food Bank, Promising Pages, Crisis Assistance Ministry, and John could always be found ringing the bells for the Salvation Army at Park Road Shopping Center, during the Christmas holidays.

In September 1989, one week after Hurricane Hugo, John married Gloria Yeager, who lived just three doors down the street from him. That union brought John a daughter, Cameron Yeager. Together they continued the busy life John was enjoying.

The Samaritan House, Sister Cities, Friendship Force and working at the USO at the Charlotte Airport, also benefitted from John's volunteering. One of his proudest volunteer jobs was setting up the bookstore at Julia's Coffee Shop at the Habitat for Humanity Store on Wendover Road in Charlotte, NC. It gave him so much satisfaction to improve their book sales from $50.00 a month, to being able to build at least one entire house a year just from the sale of books, and today it's probably even a larger number.

John had many loves, travel being near the top of the list. In addition to his South American trips, through his volunteering with Friendship Force he visited Kyrgyzstan, which at the time was part of the Soviet Republic and Havanna, Cuba. With Sister Cities he was delighted to be in a group to Krefeld, Germany, again. There was travel strictly for pleasure, as well, to many other European cities almost always including a stop in Berlin, his favorite city. There were even a few cruises included in his adventures.

His family will attest to his love of birds, most especially, hummingbirds. Whether it was the first of the season, or the last to fly south, when he spotted one, there was a loud announcement heard all over the house, "Hummingbird!" We would be expected to run to see the tiny creature take flight. Airplanes and air travel were other things that gave him joy, whether building models as a young boy, flying to distant lands or streaming live feeds from airports all over the world watching planes land and takeoff, John was fascinated.

But, as great as these things were to John, his family and friends were his heart. He was always there during good times and bad, happy or sad, with love and support. Being a storyteller, he would often say, "and to make a long story short." At that point, it was usually too late, a long story was always a long story. But we loved him for it.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Gloria, his son, Steve and his wife, Gail Barringer, his daughter, Cameron Yeager and her partner, Reid Clark, his granddaughter, Sarah Barringer, his sister-in law, Shelley Magnaghi, his brother, Dan and wife, Mary Barringer and many cousins, nieces and nephews, who considered John the patriarch of the family. John was preceded in death by his parents, Franklin and Gertrude Barringer, his wife, Carol, and his brother David Barringer.

A memorial service will take place on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM, at Christ Lutheran Church, 4519 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28226. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Crisis Assistance Ministry, 500-A Spratt Street, Charlotte, NC 28206, Habitat for Humanity.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.