Barry Reardon
VERO BEACH, FL- D. Barry Reardon, 92, died on Saturday, May 27, in Vero Beach. Barry was born on March 8, 1931, to David and Anne Cotter Reardon in Hartford, CT. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marsha, and his daughter Lisa. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. From 1953 to 1956 he worked for Army Intelligence in Europe. He attended Trinity College from 1956 to 1957 and earned an MBA in economics. After his first job at United Technologies, Barry worked for Litton Industries in their Eureka-Carlisle Division in Scranton, PA, until 1967. At that time, it was the largest printer of trading stamps and seals in the world and the second largest printer of catalogs in the United States. He was the purchasing agent for the paper they needed, and he met his wife Marsha then as she worked for the paper company from which he purchased paper.
In 1967, he began his career in the entertainment business. He joined Paramount Pictures in NYC as the associate to the VP of Finance. He then moved to marketing and distribution as vice president and assistant to the president. In 1975, he joined General Cinema Corporation in Boston, in charge of marketing and film procurement. At that time General Cinema was the largest movie circuit in the U.S. In 1978 he was recruited by Warner Brothers and the family moved to Los Angeles. This turned out to be his “dream” job. As president of sales and distribution, he had a large influence in the industry, changing the way Warner Brothers and other studios produced and distributed films. Sho West, the organization representing movie theater companies, honored him with the title “Dean of Distribution.” In his retirement year, 1999, Variety honored him with a lifetime achievement award. During those years and into retirement he served on several industry and charitable boards.
Retirement took him and his family to Vero Beach. They settled into Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club and spent their winters there. They spent summers in Wilmington, VT. Barry could be found mowing his lawn and playing golf in the summer and golfing and skiing in the winter. They also traveled and are happy to claim they have visited all seven continents.
The funeral service will be in Wilmington, VT, late this summer. In addition, a celebration of life will be hosted in January at Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club. Donations in his name may be made to the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, 4875 43rd Avenue, Vero Beach, FL 32967 or the VNA Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
