Colonel (RET) Henry Barnard Gass

Colonel (RET) Henry Barnard “Barney” Gass, age 83, fought his final battle and passed peacefully on Monday, August 28, 2023 at his home in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Born and raised in Florence, Alabama, Barney was a graduate of Coffee High School. He graduated in 1962 from the University of Alabama, as a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and the ROTC. He also earned two graduate degrees from Michigan State University. He was a proud veteran of the US Army serving three tours in Vietnam and earning three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a graduate of the National War College and retired with honor and distinction in 1992 after 30 years of service. After his retirement, he became Vice President of the Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute and later, the founding owner of ALION Science and Technology, Inc. of McLean, VA. Barney and his beautiful bride of almost 60 years retired on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama where he served many years as a Commissioner for the USS Alabama Battleship Commission (Chairman 2008-2010), participated in five Honor Flights, served as Board member for the Little Lagoon Preservation Society, was a member of the United Methodist Church, and volunteered saving sea turtles with the Bon Secour Fish and Wildlife. He was a courageous, soft spoken, kind, and loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, colleague and a proud American. He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend of 59 years, Frances Maxine Gass; daughter, Cynthia Gass Johnson (Matthew) of Langley, WA; granddaughter Georgia Kate Johnson of Langley WA; nephews Kevin Buckley and Brian (Tami) Buckley of Birmingham, AL; nephew Ray House of Birmingham, AL; nephew Robert Gass Chapman (Sara) of Baltimore, MD. Funeral services with military honors will be held at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort, AL on Friday, September 1, at 1pm. There will be a viewing family and friends on Thursday, August 31 at 4pm at Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home, Foley, AL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org), Alzheimer’s Disease Research (www.brightfocus.org), and the Little Lagoon Preservation Society (https://littlelagoon.org)