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Honoring Barry Solem, 5/4/39 - 2/3/2026
Our dear friend, Barry Solem, was one of our biggest believers in - and donor for - Port Harcourt. He was a generous contributor to Schools For Africa. He was an advisor, encourager, and one of Missionary Phyllis Sortor's BIGGEST champions. Barry especially loved building schools, and was excited to see our Port Harcourt project take shape. Barry and his wife of 58 years, Karen, met Phyllis when, many years ago, she was at an SPU weekend at Camp Casey. When they heard she was captured and held for ransom, they prayed for her safe return.
Barry was born on May 4, 1939, in Spokane, Washington. He lived a life marked by faith, joy and purpose until he went home to be with the Lord on February 3, 2026, in Edmonds, WA.
He often recounted days of growing up in Spokane and how fortunate he and his sister Bobbie were to have such loving parents. Their home was filled with music and The Word of God. They grew up in the church where Barry occasionally played his clarinet and sang. His dad was his hero. He graduated from North Central High School in 1958 and later moved west where he attended Seattle Pacific College. He then got his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business. While he valued education, he valued the friends he made during those years even more. He genuinely loved people.
After grad school, Barry began his career at RCA on the East Coast. During that time, he lived with the Luce family, who became lifelong friends. After returning to Seattle, he joined Boeing, where he spent more than 30 years in a variety of roles, including Operations Research and Boeing Computer Services, before retiring at the age of 55.
During his early days at Boeing, Barry met Karen Anderson. Married in 1967, they had two girls, Stephanie and Jill, and over the years they enjoyed many family events, trips and traditions. Their annual week at Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center grew to include all six of their grandchildren and was a favorite event for the entire family.
Following retirement, he volunteered to help a friend, Richard Steegstra, who owned Ballard Technology, eventually signing on as an employee and part owner until he retired a second time in 2012.
Barry loved to work with his hands and had a deep appreciation for architecture. He took great pride in helping design and build two homes, finding joy in creating spaces that were both beautiful and lasting.
Perhaps Barry's most rewarding years were after his work-life ended. He and Karen wintered in Palm Desert where they spent time with lifelong friends and he was part of Teleios, a men's Bible Study. Other highlights were traveling to Israel and China.
Barry invested in numerous ministries that shared the love of Jesus. Passionate about Christian education and indigenous missionaries, he was involved in supporting AIM International (Assisting Indigenous Ministries), HEED Uganda, Schools for Africa and Big Table. Barry is now in the presence of the Lord he loved and joyfully served, filled with gratitude for the life God allowed him to live and for the many people who impacted his life.
Thank you, God, for Barry! Bless his family as they mourn him and learn to live here on earth without him. Thank you that he has a new body in heaven, with You! We praise You for his life, his family, and the impact he had here on earth.
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