Iral Barrett

On April 28, Board Member Emeritus Iral Barrett, went home to be with his loving Savior. His involvement with Young Life began in high school, and his contributions to the mission were numerous over the last 70-plus years.

Iral’s association with Young Life started in 1952, when the Oregonian attended his first club. After graduation, he sensed the Lord calling him to be a volunteer leader while in college. Iral and Gwen married in 1953 when they were both 19 years old. He took over his father-in-law’s business and patented the realtor’s key safe and later lockbox systems, and the rest is history.

As their business grew, Iral and Gwen remained committed to Young Life’s mission. Over the years they served on local and regional committees in Seattle, Washington; Salem and Sisters, Oregon; and Maui, Hawaii, where they helped start Young Life.

In the late 90s the couple had the vision for, and were instrumental in, helping Young Life acquire a much-needed camp in the northwest — Washington Family Ranch. Iral served as the co-chair for the steering committee, which helped raise millions of dollars for camp renovations, and the Barretts have been faithful supporters of the camp ever since.

Iral also served faithfully on the board of trustees from 1979 – 1983 and from 1996 – 2004, working with presidents Bob Mitchell and Denny Rydberg, respectively.

In 1988, they established the Barrett Family Fund through the Young Life Foundation. Iral was warm, inviting, and actively engaged in supporting the ministry to the very end. He once explained his support of the work in this way:

“I’ve always been impressed with the way Young Life knows how to reach out to kids and share the gospel in an interesting, understandable, and winning way. The leaders know how to walk with kids and earn the right to be heard. We give to certain individuals we believe are men and women of God doing an effective job of sharing the gospel and teaching others to do the same.”

Please keep Gwen and the Barrett family in your prayers. The mission is so grateful to the Lord for blessing Young Life with this faithful, visionary servant.