Rev. Matty Barrett Renfro

Rev. Matty Barrett Renfro
Carrollton & Farmers Branch
TXGenWeb

Home > People > R > Rev. Matty Barrett Renfro

1950 The Roar
Carrollton High School
Carrollton, Dallas Co., Texas
Senior Class

Class of 1950 Valedictorian

Note: Barrett lives in Austin TX and has submitted a lot of great CHS photos to this website !

OBITUARY

Matty Barrett Renfro
1932 - 2016

Austin, Texas - The Reverend Matty Barrett Renfro, a retired United Methodist clergyman, died at age 84 on August 10, 2016 in Hospice Austin's Christopher House in Austin, Texas. His death was due to complications following a battle with squamous cell carcinoma.

Barrett was born at home on Scripture Street in Denton, Texas on May 27, 1932 to Daniel Barrett and Gladys Seelbach Renfro. He held three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from North Texas State University, a Master of Theology from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and a Master of Urban Affairs from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Barrett related that he first felt called to Christian service when he was in the seventh grade. He received water baptism at First Methodist Church, Carrollton, Texas while in the ninth grade, and went on to preach his first sermon the evening of Sunday, June 5, 1950. He received his first appointment in June 1953 as a student at Perkins. He retired from the active ministry in 1999, and served as a retired pastor around the Austin area for another 15 years.

In his 60 years of ministry, active and following retirement, Barrett experienced many styles of ministry in both the Texas and the Southwest Texas Conferences. He served as associate pastor and senior pastor of local congregations, rural and urban, large and small. He was a campus minister, a youth minister, the administrator of a mission agency, and organizer of new churches. Barrett actively participated in leadership in SWTC, serving on many boards and agencies, and as chair of both the Board of Discipleship and the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. He was also a trained and certified counselor and a member of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

"A force to be reckoned with" is how a fellow pastor once described Barrett, and anyone who knew him knew this to be true. His was a life defined by faith, integrity and determination. On more than one occasion Barrett took a stand that was not entirely popular, but no one could ever question his motivation or dedication. In spite of a few rough places, Barrett was a successful and well-loved pastor, especially by members of his staffs. Barrett made many friends and kept them over the years, some going back to seminary.

Barrett was a voracious reader, never reading fiction, but educating himself far beyond his formal education. He was imaginative and creative and enjoyed writing short stories and poetry as well as listening to and performing music, especially Bob Dylan. He loved hunting in Mason County, but his greatest pleasure came from fishing the bays of Rockport and south Texas.

Barrett was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter Amyanne Renfro Bradlau. He is survived by his wife Barbara Lee Renfro and her family of Austin; by his daughter Shirlyn Renfro Houston and her husband Tim of Helotes, and Shirlyn's mother Rachel Lesley of San Antonio; by his son Daniel Paul Renfro and his wife Brenley McIntosh, of Boston, MA, and by Daniel's mother Marty Dillon of Austin; and by several nieces and nephews and cousins.

A memorial service for Barrett will be held at Berkeley United Methodist Church, 2407 Berkeley Ave, Austin, Texas, 78745, at 10:00a.m., Saturday, August 27, 2016.. A portion of his ashes will be buried at Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas, with the remainder being scattered according to his wishes. It was Barrett's wish that his service be a happy celebration of his life. Accordingly, the family asks those attending to wear bright colors and smiles.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the many friends who wrote, called and visited Barrett. A special thanks goes to Professional Caretakers and Hospice Austin whose expertise and kindness made Barrett's last days easier for everyone. In lieu of flowers the family would like to request gifts to Hospice Austin in Barrett's memory.