Harold "Benji" Barrett

Harold “Benji” Barrett passed from this life on September 11, 2026, at the age of 68 at his home in Haubstadt. Though his absence leaves an ache that words cannot fully express, his family finds comfort in knowing his earthly struggles are over, his body is restored, and he is at peace. 

Benji lived a life rooted in hard work, simplicity, and an appreciation for the things that mattered most. He never needed much and lived to save or give to those he loved the most. He believed in using what you had, fixing things yourself, and finding a practical way to get the job done. Hiring someone was rarely his first choice when he believed he could figure it out himself—and he usually could. It may not always have been fancy, and duct tape may have occasionally been involved, but to Benji, if it worked, there was little reason to complicate it. 

Benji never knew a life that didn’t involve hard work. From a young age, he worked alongside his father in the family logging business and later spent much of his life behind the wheel of a semi. He retired from XPO where he met some of his lifelong and best friends that never left his side, even during his final days. He was also the one willing to climb onto horses’ others considered impossible to tame; this started from a young age and later as an adult for his father-in-law Bill—a fitting example of just another way in which he approached life. Work was never optional to Benji; it was simply part of who he was, even during his final months. If there was work to be done, he did it, and if there wasn’t work to be found, he found some. He took tremendous pride in providing for his family and earning what he had through an honest day’s work. 

More than anything, Benji loved his family. He shared his life with Terri , the love of his life, and was a patient and dependable father who taught his kids by doing. He taught his kids to work hard, be independent, and figure things out for themselves. It wasn’t necessarily a lesson in perseverance—He simply didn’t know another way. If there was a problem, you figured it out. If you didn’t know how to do something, you learned. And if the first way didn’t work, you found another. To Benji, that wasn’t determination; it was simply what you did.

As “Papaw” and “Papaw Bert,” he brought laughter to his grandchildren through his teasing, quirky remarks, and unmistakable sense of humor. But beneath all of that was a tremendous love for each one of them. He was proud of them, supported them, and found great joy in simply being their Papaw.

Benji enjoyed camping, working on vehicles, watching car shows and most of all, riding his motorcycle. He never needed life to be fancy in order for it to be good. His life was simple by choice and rich in all the ways that truly mattered. 

That same way of facing life stayed with Benji until the very end. Giving up simply was not in his nature. He spent a lifetime fixing, providing and caring for the people he loved. His work here is now finished, and there is comfort in imagining that somewhere beyond this life, the road is wide open—and Benji finally has all the time in the world to ride. 

Benji is survived by his wife, Terri Barrett; mom, Jo Ann Barrett; children, BJ (Laura) Barrett, Lyndsey (Sean) Whitten, Kelly (Darren) Wilson; grandchildren, Aidan Barrett, Jaxson Barrett, Nate Barrett, Saylor Barrett, Charlie Whitten, Ty Whitten, Maylee Whitten, Austin Garrison, Dakota Wright, and Miranda Wright ; and siblings, Cody Barrett, Ronnie(Sue) Barrett, and Carol(Richard) Wallace.

He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Barrett; father-in-law, Bill Lemmons, and along with many who came before him, taught him some of life’s most valuable lessons, and helped shape the man he became.

Family and friends will gather for a graveside service honoring Benji’s life 10 A.M. Monday, September 14th at Columbia White Church Cemetery. In keeping with Benji’s simple nature, family and friends will gather graveside for a personal and meaningful service honoring his life.

Online condolences can be given at ColvinFuneralHome.com where you can share a memory with Benji’s family.  Colvin Funeral Home is honored to serve the Barrett family. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Harold "Benji" Barrett, please visit our floral store.