Michael Anthony Barry

September 7, 1943 ~ October 20, 2024
Born in:
Hudson, New York
Resided in:
Vienna, Virginia
Michael Anthony Barry, 81, died on October 20, 2024, at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA, following a month-long illness.
Mike was born September 7, 1943, in upstate New York and grew up in Hudson, New York. He was the middle of three children born to William Barry and Barbara Warner. William served as an Agriculture Extension Agent in Columbia County, NY, and Barbara spent many years as a teacher in Hudson. Mike graduated from Hudson High School in 1961 before attaining a BA in history from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, and an MA in public administration from the State University of New York at Albany. Mike met the love of his life, Lissa Hardy, at Hudson High.
Mike’s life took an unexpected turn when a professor at SUNY Albany told him and his friends that a recruiter from the Central Intelligence Agency was on campus and was looking for more candidates to interview. Having just seen a James Bond movie, Mike decided the CIA sounded exciting. This led to an over 30-year career as a CIA analyst and manager, punctuated by a several-year stint in the Air Force in the late 1960s. Mike and Lissa married in 1967 while he was stationed at an Air Force base in Massachusetts, and they returned to Northern Virginia after his service ended. They enjoyed seeing the world together, including when Mike worked in Vientiane, Laos, in the early-to-mid 1970s. They returned abruptly to Virginia when the communist takeover of Laos became imminent. Son Patrick was born in 1975, and daughter Margaret in 1977. The family resided in Fairfax, VA for several years before settling in Vienna, VA in 1979. They lived in Europe for three years in the late 1980s. Mike was passionate about government service, and equally so about his family. His Agency career gave him the opportunity to travel widely throughout Asia, Europe, and Latin America, as well as to lead the preparation of the President’s Daily Brief for several years.
After retiring from the Agency in 2001, Mike enjoyed traveling with Lissa, working in his large garden, and attending the theater multiple nights per week. After his granddaughters Allison and Megan were born, he became a doting grandfather and built an extensive fairy garden and railroad in his yard for them. Mike loved meeting and getting to know people and was a familiar sight around his neighborhood during his jogs and walks. Mike is survived by his wife, Lissa Barry; sister, Margaret (Midge) Cozzens Miller; brother, William (Bill) Barry; brother in law, David Hardy; children, Patrick Barry and Margaret Cadena; son in law, Lucas Cadena; and grandchildren, Allison Cadena and Megan Cadena.
A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 31, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 8601 Wolftrap Rd SE, Vienna, VA, 22182. Please enter the church parking lot via Niblick Dr SE. Mass will be immediately followed by a burial at Andrew Chapel Cemetery, 1308 Trap Rd, Vienna, VA, 22182. There will be a reception at his daughter Margaret’s home immediately following the burial until 4PM.
Services
Mass of Christian Burial : October 31, 2024 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church
8601 Wolftrap Rd.
Vienna , VA 22182
703-938-7440
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8601 Wolftrap Rd.,Vienna , VA 22182
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1308 Trap Road,Vienna, VA 22182
Paul
I was a year behind Mike at Holy Cross in the mid 1960s and later a fellow CIA analyst for decades until we both retired in 2001. He was a proud member of an especially talented generation of analysts who faced major geopolitical and technological changes in a particularly turbulent era. Mike stood out for his intellectual curiosity, substantive expertise, work ethic, and strong dedication to a hardscrabble mission–which eventually earned him a senior management position on the President’s Daily Brief. On a personal level, Mike was a thoughtful, considerate, good-humored colleague who was always quick to let us know how much he loved his family.
Mike and I were Agency colleagues, and our career paths crossed on several occasions over the years. At one point, in fact, our desks were next to each other. Mike was a first-rate professional, highly skilled in our craft. Equally important, he was a good person. He was unfailingly kind, friendly, and eager to help a colleague. I will always remember that welcoming smile and handshake.