Dr. Barry Lee Scribner was born in Cumberland, WI. The son of Leland and Elaine (Peterson) Scribner, he was the eldest of four boys (Barry, Timothy, Jeffrey and Rodney). Growing up, Barry always wanted to be a member of the military. His father and uncles had served in World War II, and he was inspired by them. Barry loved anything related to the military, whether it was games or movies.
Barry attended Ferguson Falls High School in Minnesota. He was a leader within his class and a straight-A student leading up to his matriculation to the United States Military Academy at West Point and continued both as a cadet. He received appointments to both West Point and the Air Force Academy. He obviously chose a path well suited for him.
Barry was very creative and had a great sense for business. When he was in the sixth grade, he developed and presented a military-style puppet show. He made his puppets out of stuffed socks, color markers and thread. He sold tickets in the neighborhood (no doubt making a tidy profit). Barry also developed a great work ethic that served him well later in the Army and in business. He worked in his grandfather’s feed mill and at his hog farm (but he was certain that he didn’t want to be a farmer).
Barry had a paper route starting in the seventh grade. However, as high school activities picked up, he turned the delivery part over to one of his brothers but kept the route in his name. Barry made more money on the paper route than his brother did, who was doing all the work!
In high school, Barry participated in track and wrestling and was very active in plays, speech, and debate. He went on to state competitions in speech and debate and starred in Li’l Abner, Fiddler on the Roof, and Man of La Mancha. He was elected class president.
Barry’s love for debate flourished at West Point. He was a very active member of the Debate Council and Forum all four years as a cadet. He served as the vice president his firstie year. He was a member of the Howitzer staff for three years. Barry was well respected by his classmates and especially those in Company D-4. He was selected for the Honor Committee his senior year.
Barry’s academic success continued at West Point where he was a Star Man and graduated 56th in a class of 833 (a class that began with almost 1,400 on R-Day, July 1, 1970). He was always willing to help a classmate who was having difficulty in a subject.
Barry branched Armor and joined the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armor Cavalry Regiment in Germany. After his four-year tour at the tip of the spear during the Cold War era, he studied at Harvard for an assignment at West Point in the Social Sciences Department. While at West Point, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard. Before heading out to Fort Stewart in Georgia, he was at Fort Leavenworth, KS for the Command and General Staff College. After his time at Fort Stewart with 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, he went back to West Point in the Programs, Analysis and Evaluation Department and became a permanent professor in the Department of Social Sciences until 1995, when he was lured away from the Army and into a career in business. Barry retired in 1995 as a lieutenant colonel.
After leaving the Army, Barry first went to work for Tenneco. He redeveloped the former Clare Booth Luce estate into Tenneco’s corporate headquarters, valued at more than $70 million at the time. He managed the 60-acre campus that included a 100,000-square-foot A-plus office building and a corporate hotel. Barry was also responsible for the company’s capital budget, information technology, security services and transportation services.
In April 1999, Barry founded Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) Public Sector Group. He was an international director and co-president of JLL’s Public Institutions Team. He grew the firm’s privatization and public institutions specialty. His team focused on resolving real estate challenges facing governments and private sector agencies, including Army and Air Force Military Housing Privatization Initiative implementation, Enhanced Use Leasing for the U.S. Army and Air Force, overseas Build-to-Lease projects for the Army, General Services Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs, Base Realignment and Closure for the Navy, and urban redevelopment for the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Corporation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, among others. His title at JLL was president, Department of Defense and Federal Services, as well as international director at the time of his passing.
Although invested in his professions, Barry loved his family, classmates and friends. Barry and his wife, Becky (Drechsel), first met at an A&W restaurant in Fergus Falls, MN. He was a senior in high school. She was a waitress (probably on roller skates), and, for Barry, it was love at first sight. They had three children: Alicia, Zara and Noah; all now serving in the Army—a doctor, lawyer and Armor officer. He was extremely proud of them, and you could depend on updates whenever you were with him.
Barry had a great zest for life. He was an avid skier, shopper (he appreciated custom suits and Lulumelon clothing), dancer, and runner. He also loved his beloved Peloton bike. He always was there for reunions and the renowned Class of ’74 “Men of Meat” spring gathering in Washington, DC. He loved the New York Yankees and Minnesota Vikings. Barry always had boundless energy. His favorite places to travel included Garmisch, Germany and Hawaii.
— Frank B. Janaski, Friend and Classmate