Loren Call Barlow Jr obituary
Loren Call Barlow, Jr, died at age 95 from age-related frailties on February 2, 2022 at his home in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife, Joyce, by his side. He was born on April 8, 1926, in St Louis, Missouri, to Loren Call Barlow, Sr, and Rachel Irene Smith Barlow while his father was attending Washington University School of Medicine. Her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where her father performed the surgery until his death at age 36, when Loren was 5. Subsequently, Loren, his older sister Rachel, and their mother moved to Logan, Utah, where he grew up close to his Garandmother Smith while his mother completed her undergraduate studies at Utah Sate Agricultural College. They later moved to Chicago, Illinois where Loren fell in love with the Chicago Cubs while his mother earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Finally, they settled in Provo, Utah, where Loren grew to love the Wasatch Mountains, skiing, and tennis while her mother taught home economics at Brigham Young University (BYU). Loren earned his Eagle Scout before graduating from BYU High School in 1943. Prior to serving in the United States Army in the Pacific from 1944 to 1946, Loren attended BYU where he met his future wife, Margaret Wilson. He married Margaret on June 20, 1949.
From childhood he wanted to be a doctor – he once hid in his father’s car so that he could accompany him on his rounds to the hospital. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University, interned at Evanston Hospital, Illinois, and completed three years of internal medicine training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1955, he began his solo medical practice in Eugene, Oregon, spreading his shingle and waiting for patients to show up. After 17 years of ultimately busy solo practice, he formed a partnership and professional society with Drs. John Bonzer and Bill Holcomb in 1973. Still impressed with the Mayo Clinic model of multi-specialty group practice of medicine, Loren has defended and became the first president of the Oregon Medical Group in 1988. He was disappointed by the subsequent failure to further integrate medical care in Eugene. He concluded his career with Peace Health Medical Group before retiring in 2003, although he remained active in quality improvement projects until 2009. He served voluntarily as Chief of Staff at the Sacred Heart Hospital between 1969 and 1971 and served on numerous Sacred Heart Health and Peace Boards. and committees.
Greeted by Margaret’s sister, Marian, her husband Met Wilson and their children, Loren and Margaret and their children quickly felt at home in Eugene. Loren quickly became an avid fly fisherman, a loyal Oregon Ducks fan, and a founding member of the Eugene Swim and Tennis Club. He and his family attended all U of O football and basketball home games and track and field competitions. (He never lost his Great Depression habit of frugality; refusing to buy himself popcorn or drinks at games!) He also attended countless swimming meets, Eugene Boys Athletic Association and at middle and high school sporting events to watch the kids compete.
Additionally, he and Margaret enjoyed attending the Bach Festival, the Eugene Symphony, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They joined four other couples in a play-reading group who dated for 20 years. They both loved holidays to the Oregon Coast, to Minnesota in the 1960s to see the Metropolitan Opera touring company with Met and Marian, and to England for a long-awaited and fondly remembered trip. in 1977. Loren and Margaret were delighted when Met and Marian retired. in Eugene, allowing them all to indulge in their favorite pastime, bridge. After Margaret’s death in 1989, Loren married Joyce VanHall on November 5, 1994, and welcomed her two children into her home.
While in retirement, Loren provided free medical care at the Medicine Volunteer Clinic. He became an avid reader, particularly of United States history, played tennis until his 90s, and remained an attentive observer of current events. For many years he gathered his children, their wives, and his grandchildren for a reunion every summer. Encouraged by his children, he wrote his autobiography. He listened to classical music and jazz, enjoyed modern art, traveled with Joyce, his children and his tennis buddies and never wavered in his loyalty to the Ducks (adding women’s basketball to his list of must-see games ). In 2016, his beloved Cubs finally won the World Series, ending a 108-year drought.
Loren was predeceased by his father, Loren, Sr, on June 2, 1931, his mother, Irene, on July 17, 1979, his wife, Margaret, on December 20, 1989, and his sister, Rachel, on June 12, 2014. He is survived by his wife Joyce, his children Bob Cherney of Perth, Australia and Jesse VanHall of Eugene, Oregon, his children Stephen (Kathleen) Barlow of Salt Lake City, Utah, David (Margaret Graham) Barlow of Seattle, Washington, Janet (Rick Mitchell) Barlow of Portland, Oregon, John (Tamsin) Barlow of Rochester, Minnesota, 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, the youngest of whom (Olive Loren) was born hours before his death .
The family are grateful to all the medical staff, including the nurses at Brighton Hospice, who cared for Loren during her final months.
A memorial service at the cemetery will be held at Rest-Haven Memorial Park, 3900 Willamette Street in Eugene, on Friday, February 25, 2022 at 1 p.m. An open house will be held at 1819 Fairmont Blvd in Eugene between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. the same day.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Lane County (www.vim-clinic.org) or the Eugene Mission (www.eugenemission.org)
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loren Barlow Jr., please visit Tribute Store

Published by Musgrove Mortuary & West Lawn Memorial Park on February 8, 2022.