Barry Tyrone Kountz
September 5, 1969 - June 4, 2019

Mr. Barry Tyrone Kountz died unexpectedly at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand on June 4, 2019 at the age of 49. He was born on September 5, 1969 in Kansas City, Missouri to Othell Kountz and Bobbie Lee Hardwick Bishop Kountz, both of whom are now deceased. He was the youngest of three children. Barry attended O'Hara High School where he excelled both academically and athletically. He received varsity letters in football, basketball, and track; he graduated with honors in 1987. After high school, Barry entered a dual degree program at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana and Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 1994, he graduated with honors from Xavier with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and minor in Mathematics and from Southern University with Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. After working for several years as an engineer, Barry attended the University of Cincinnati where, in 2000, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering with an emphasis in Hazardous Waste Management. After receiving his degrees, Barry let loose his “talents on the world”. During his professional career, he held many key positions in oil, gas, and nuclear waste management in the United States as well as all over the world. His most notable positions and places he worked were as: Senior Oil and Gas Advisor for the US State Department in Al Basra, Iraq Project Manager with Fluor/Chevron Pacific in Indonesia Project Manager for the US Navy in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba His most recent job assignments for the US Army took him to Bosnia, South Korea, and Romania. As you can tell, Barry loved to travel; and, each place he lived or visited he would learn the history of that city and country. To my knowledge, Barry visited every continent on this planet except for Antarctica and Australia. Barry was a firm believer in giving back to his community. Wherever he was working, Barry would go out into the community and volunteer as a tutor to help young people with their school work. While he was living in Houston, he also volunteered to help register people to vote. Barry loved both his Boys; he spent time with them when possible. He was very passionate about teaching his Boys right from wrong, the value of hard work, being accountable for your actions, staying true to your commitments, being respectful, to be thankful for what they have, and the value of education – to name a few. He also wanted them to expand their horizons into other countries and their cultures as much as possible. Although Barry took his education very seriously, he was a jokester and comedian at heart. He would often spend hours joking or playing the "Dozens" with his friends. Barry was extremely loyal to the people he claimed as family. He would go above and beyond to help them succeed; he was determined to help solve any problem presented to him. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who loved him. Barry was preceded in death by his loving parents, Othell Kountz and Bobbie Kountz, his grandmother Lorena Starr Hardwick, his uncle Austin Hardwick, Jr., and his aunts Maythella Hardwick-Hall, Regina Wheeler, Gayle Eubanks (Wilbert) and many other loved ones from the Hardwick and Kountz families. He leaves to cherish his memory two sons; Preston Robinson of New Orleans, Louisiana and Bakari Kountz of Chattanooga, Tennessee; his partner for more than twelve years and mother of Bakari - Kecha Mitchell of Memphis, Tennessee; sister - Anita Kountz of Jacksonville, Florida; brother - Maurice Bishop (Sharon) of Columbia, Missouri; two aunts – Helen Jackson and Sybil Hardwick both of Kansas City, Missouri; three uncles – Conrad Hardwick (Jerrie) of Raytown, Missouri, Robert Hardwick and Bill Eubanks both of Kansas City, Missouri; special cousins – Carol Anderson of Atlanta, Georgia, Sherry Brights of Denver, Colorado, Reginald Eubanks of Honolulu, Hawaii; and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and former colleagues. A Memorial service will be Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Thompson Funeral Home in Trumann, AR. An online register book can be signed at www.thompsonfuneralhome.net.