Henry County Commissioner Gary Barham, who has been hospitalized for much of February because of complications from COVID-19, died on Tuesday.
Barham, who had been on the south metro Atlanta community’s commission since 2013, was surrounded by family who had been called to the hospital early Tuesday morning, according to a Facebook post from his son, Josh Barham.
The elder Barham had shown some signs of recovery in recent days, only for his condition to deteriorate.
The Henry Commission, which held a Feb. 20 prayer vigil for Barham in the parking lot of Piedmont Henry Hospital, released a short statement on its Facebook page Tuesday confirming Barham’s death due to complications from COVID-19.
“Gary served as Henry County’s District 3 Commissioner since 2013 and spent much of his life in service to the Henry County community,” the Commission statement read. “His passing is an immense loss for all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. "
Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, the county said.
A native of Henry County, Barham grew up in McDonough and attended Henry County High School and Griffin Tech, according to his commission bio.
Married for 34 years to wife Becky, the pair had two sons, Josh and Adam, and five grandchildren. Gary Barham spent 31 years with the city of McDonough, including a stint as the city’s director of public works, before retiring.
He coached Little League, was a McDonough volunteer fireman and a president of the Kiwanis Club. In addition, he was on the Olympic Torch and the Paralympics Torch relay committees, delivered Christmas gifts to Milledgeville Central State Hospital and helped bring the first Veterans Day program to the McDonough Square.
About the Author
