Solomon Efrem Barr, born March 24, 1929 in Washington D.C., died on Jan. 4 in Baltimore, Maryland, at age 95. Sol lived a long, full, and happy life. He was the first of three children born to Jenny and Barney Barr, followed a few years later by his late brother Arnold and then his sister Toby.
He was raised in D.C. and attended George Washington University, where he majored in chemistry–graduating Phi Beta Kappa–and subsequently completed medical school–graduating Alpha Omega Alpha. 1954 was a banner year for Sol; he finished medical school and married Rita Cohan. After serving in the army from 1955 to 1958, Sol and Rita returned to the D.C. area, settling in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he opened an allergy practice and they grew their family. Their oldest child, Linda, was born in 1958, followed by Steven in 1959, Tsela in 1962, and Sharon in 1963. Sol’s practice thrived, and he eventually moved his practice to Rockville and his family to Bethesda.
In addition to his passion for medicine, Sol was a family man who loved to spend time with his wife of 70 years, Rita; four children, Linda (Joe Adams), Steven, Tsela (Ed Oltman), and Sharon (John Bernitz); and his six grandchildren, Zachary, Jasper, Nathan, Jackson, Izak, and Sonya. He was also an avid runner, reader (especially of American historical non-fiction), chess and bridge player, and loyal fan of Washington sports teams. He regularly danced at the officer’s club in Fort Myers with Rita. He also loved to travel the world, and after he sold his practice in 2004, he and Rita travelled extensively.
Sol is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and many other family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jenny and Barney Barr, and his brother, Arnold Barr. Sol supported many charities, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Planned Parenthood. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to one of these charities, or the charity of your choice.
