R. Stephen Barrett, 74, of Oreland, retired judge for the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, former acting solicitor and first assistant solicitor for Montgomery County, leader for the Upper Dublin Township and Montgomery County Republican Committees, youth sports coach, mentor, and volunteer, died Thursday, June 12, of complications from bladder cancer at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
First elected to the bench in 1999, Judge Barrett was retained in 2009 and served at the courthouse in Norristown and Youth Center in Eagleville until his retirement in 2020. He presided over cases in the state’s 38th Judicial District in Family Court and Juvenile Court, and was known by family and colleagues for his “responsibility, fairness, and compassion.”
He settled acrimonious divorce cases, confronted thorny child support issues, and decided dozens of other sticky situations. He coordinated follow-up services with the county’s Office of Children & Youth and the Department of Juvenile Probation, and other education and family aid groups.
He deliberated seriously over every case, colleagues said, and was particularly attuned to the plight of the children he encountered. “We attorneys often reminded him that he wasn’t responsible for the rest of the kids’ lives,” a colleague said in a tribute.
His wife, Gwen, said he often agonized over the hard choices he had to make. “He put in blood, sweat, and tears as a judge,” she said.
He was also friendly and funny, colleagues said, and he mentored attorneys and parents as well as children in problem solving and the law. “We were all lucky to have him,” a colleague said.
An attorney who appeared before him often in Family Court said he was “full of surprises, and his passion for trying to do right by every family was boundless.” His family said in a tribute: “He brought empathy and insight to every case.”
Judge Barrett was recommended for election in 1999 by the Montgomery County Bar Association, and he told The Inquirer in a candidate’s statement before the ‘99 primary in May: “The courts must continue to provide and maintain an independent judicial review of cases in an expeditious manner so that citizens can timely present their claims in a fair and impartial forum. The court system must be user friendly, and I intend to accommodate the citizens and their attorneys.”
Earlier, from 1979 to 1999, he was an assistant and then first assistant solicitor for Montgomery County. He worked on employment discrimination cases, the closing of Pennhurst State School and Hospital in the 1980s, and other county matters.
In 1993, he served four months as the acting county solicitor and was nominated but not selected to become solicitor. He had a private practice in Glenside before joining the county and later became the leader of Area 15 for the Montgomery County Republican Committee.
“He was interested in right and wrong,” his wife said. His son, Ryan, said: “How doing the right thing affected the community had a keen affect on him. He wanted to see justice.”
Robert Stephen Barrett was born Sept. 13, 1950, in Chestnut Hill. He was close to his grandmother as a boy and played baseball, basketball, and ran track.
He graduated from Springfield High School in Montgomery County in 1969 and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Pennsylvania State University in 1973 and law degree at the University of Toledo in 1976.
He met Gwen Jenkins in Ocean City, N.J., when they were teenagers, and they married in 1977, and had a daughter, Kate, and a son, Ryan. They lived in Pennllyn and Oreland in Upper Dublin Township.
Judge Barrett worked in real estate on the side for years and was president of his condo board in Florida. He enjoyed time with family and friends at his home in Ocean City.
He coached youth baseball, softball, and basketball teams when his children were young, and he followed the Eagles, Phillies, and Penn State football. He was a Boy Scout leader and doted on his ever-present dogs.
“He was very involved and a good teacher,” his son said, “pushing me to work hard.” His daughter said at his memorial service: “He really valued our family. … We had the best childhood in Oreland.”
He liked history, played golf, and was handy around the house. Friends said he was “a wonderful friend and gentleman of utmost integrity” and “a fun-loving, role model neighbor” in tributes.
His wife said: “He wanted to make sure people were having a good time. He was empathetic. He had a good heart.”
In addition to his wife and children, Judge Barrett is survived by four grandchildren, a sister, and other relatives.
A celebration of his life was held June 20.
Donations in his name may be made to the Montgomery County SPCA, 19 E. Ridge Pike, Box 222, Conshohocken, Pa. 19428.
