Barry Driggs, 87, of Vestal, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on February 8, 2022, after a brief illness.
Barry was born in Peoria, Illinois on January 10, 1935. As a child he developed a love of sports. He played baseball for Rice University and was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He also enjoyed golf and basketball; at the free throw line, he seldom missed a basket. Barry was a talented electrical engineer, earning a bachelor’s degree from Rice University and master’s degree from George Washington University. He had a long and accomplished career with IBM in Owego, where he developed radio communications systems still in use by our military today. He also taught courses in communications through his alma mater, George Washington.
Barry married Elizabeth Ann Griffin at her hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina on February 4, 1961. A devoted husband, Barry and Ann had just celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. They raised their family, one daughter and two sons, in Vestal. An active and encouraging father, Barry participated in many activities with his children, coaching softball and baseball, camping and leading a scout troop, and even taking up skiing. Barry and Ann enjoyed traveling the world and visiting their many lifelong friends. An active man throughout his life, Barry was generous with his time, volunteering with his church, with charities including meals-on-wheels, and tutoring local school children. Barry valued education; he encouraged his children and grandchildren to pursue their talents, and established scholarships at both Rice University and Ann’s alma mater Wake Forest University.
Barry was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Ruth Driggs, and Ann’s parents Thomas and Thelma Griffin. He is survived by his wife Ann, his children and their spouses: Suzanne and Craig Scovell, Stan and Marylee Driggs, and David and Carol Driggs, his six grandchildren: Casey and Corey Scovell, Melissa and Joseph Driggs, and Derek and Devin Driggs, and his dear cousin Liz Copeland of Aurora, Illinois.
The family will receive friends at Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott Saturday from 10 am until service time at 11 am. Interment will be at Vestal Hills Memorial Park at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged in Barry’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association and Meals-On-Wheels of Western Broome.