Kay Howard Barney, formerly of Lexington, died Saturday, August 12, at Carleton Willard Village in Bedford, surrounded by his loving family. Kay was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1926 to Mildred Howard Barney (later Schnacke) and Cary W. Barney. He graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in electrical engineering and served in the Navy before moving to New York. During his working life he was employed by Sperry Gyroscope and, after moving from Long Island to Lexington in 1966, Raytheon, where he worked on the Patriot missile. On retiring from the latter, he put his management ability to work in a good cause, starting and running the non-profit American Medical Resources Foundation, collecting used but still usable medical equipment from Massachusetts hospitals for donation to needy hospitals in disadvantaged countries worldwide. This gave Kay, citizen of the world as he was, the opportunity to engage with other cultures and languages.

Kay was a lifelong lover of music. He and his wife, Marian (nee Hochsprung), met singing in Robert Shaw's Collegiate Chorale in New York and continued singing together for many years in the choir at Hancock Church in Lexington. They also performed with the Masterworks Chorale and were united in their love of Bach and Handel, never missing a Messiah sing. Kay played bassoon in the Great Neck Symphony Orchestra and kept practicing until the end of his life. He also played the washtub bass, was learning to play the banjo, and organized and performed in musical events at Carleton Willard. An avid composer, Kay wrote anthems and cantatas for chorus, sometimes with a solo for Marian, and other works for instrumental ensembles. Another great passion was sailing, which he began as a camper on Lake Dunmore in Vermont. The pride of his sailing life was the 31-foot sloop Windsong, which he and family sailed out of Gloucester and later Cape Cod. In later years he, Marian, and family enjoyed summer vacations on the Cape at their house on Patuisset Island in Bourne.

Kay's enthusiasm and energy were boundless, whatever new project he instigated, involved himself in, and roped others into collaborating on. His warmth, compassion, and good humor (especially puns) were evident to all who knew him. His love for and dedication to his wife and family were tireless and unwavering, inspiring those he's left behind: his wife Marian, daughters Nancy Barney McCrickard, Alice Barney Newell and Sally Barney Magliocchetti, son Cary Barney, sons in law James McCrickard, Scott Newell and Thomas Magliocchetti, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

As Kay always said when leaving places he loved, "And so we say adieu."

There was a private family burial according to Kay's request for green burial at Westview Cemetery in Lexington. A Memorial Service is planned for October 22, 2023, at 2 p.m. at Hancock Church in Lexington, Massachusetts. A reception with light refreshments will follow. The address is 1912 Massachusetts Avenue; Lexington, Massachusetts 02421. The service will be livestreamed at hancockchurch.org: select "Live" in the banner at the top of the website. Instead of flowers, donations in Kay's memory can be made to the following charities:

The Outdoor Church (https://theoutdoorchurch.org/)

UCC Council for Climate Justice (https://www.ucc.org/what-we-do/justice-local-church-ministries/justice/faithful-action-ministries/environmental-justice/the_ucc_council_for_climate_justice/)

Hancock Church Cantata Fund (https://www.hancockchurch.org/hancock-giving/ -- specify "Cantata Fund")