The youngest of four children, Irving "Irv" Barr's arrival was a happy surprise for his family. His parents and siblings doted on the youngest, nicknamed "Tots" by his dad.
A rags to riches story, the baby of the family went on to shift his station in life from his humble beginnings to a life of enterprise and generosity. A Chicago Jewish business titan, and philanthropist, Barr died on March 16, at 94.
"From a young age, Irv was ambitious, scrappy, fearless, and tireless. He pulled himself out from poverty with unrelenting focus and strength," said Rabbi D'ror Chankin-Gould, of Anshe Emet Synagogue, who presided over Barr's "Celebration of Life" ceremony in July at the synagogue.
Born in a low-income neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Barr dropped out of high school at 16 and took a job working alongside his brother at a gas station. At 20, Barr opened a small currency exchange, following once again in the footsteps of his brothers who he idolized.
Barr fell in love with business, and specifically with the world of currency exchanges, often manning the exchange window himself. Over the next decades, he was laser focused on his entrepreneurism, steadily opening a string of currency exchanges around Chicago.
Barr soon met Fred Kunik, who would become his friend and business partner. Their collaboration led to the expansion of Barr's businesses into California. The partners then broadened their investments into other types of financial service businesses, leading to the purchase of a wire transfer company called Ria Envia. In 2004, when Barr was 70, Ria Envia was acquired by a public company. A decade later, Barr and Kunik met similar success with two other companies.
With all his prosperity, Barr never forgot his origin story. "His biggest legacy will be all the people he helped," said his son, Charles Barr. "His upbringing and the fact that he grew up poor during the Great Depression impacted his view on philanthropy. They were intertwined."
In addition to his largess to the field of cancer research, Barr was a champion for the Jewish people. He supported Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, where his son attended elementary school for a time, and he was a passionate supporter of JUF. "Irv was as dedicated to his community as he was to growing his business," said JUF President Lonnie Nasatir. "He was a Golden Giver to the JUF Annual Campaign--contributing for over 50 consecutive years--and made clear that Jewish life was incredibly important to him."
Eventually, Barr found success in romantic love, too. After getting married, having two daughters, and divorcing, he met Irene. On their first date in 1980, the two met up for drinks. Irene found him to be, in her words, "lovely and soft-hearted." The two fell in love, and married. In 1990, the couple welcomed their son Charles. The family spent Charles' early years in Chicago before relocating to Miami, where Charles still resides today.
"My dad was older when he had me, and he was a little different than other 'typical' dads," recalled Charles. "We wouldn't exactly play catch, and we didn't watch sports. Instead, he would take me to the check-cashing stores, and he would explain whether a check is a bad check or not. He loved his business, and he loved his family."
Irving Barr is survived by his daughters Alanna Gordon and Lynn Rudman Barr, wife Irene Barr, their son Charles Barr, and a long list of loving family, friends, and associates.
