Barney Vignovich Jr.

Barney Vignovich, Jr., age 88, passed away quietly with his family by his side after a brief illness on April 10, 2013 in Naperville, Illinois. Barney was born in Johnston, Iowa to parents Barney and Eva Vignovich on January 15, 1925. He was one of nine siblings - six boys and three girls - born into the family. Johnston remained Barney's home through his high school graduation. At the age of eighteen, Barney enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Upon completing basic training and gunnery school, he was stationed in North Africa and Italy through the end of the Second World War. Serving in a B-17 squadron, he achieved the rank of sergeant and flew on twenty-five missions. Upon his discharge from the service in September 1945, he returned to Johnston and briefly went into business with one of his brothers before enrolling at Iowa State University. He graduated from college in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. That same year, Barney began his career with Phillips Petroleum Co. and moved to Borger, Texas to work at one of the company's refineries. In Borger, he would meet his wife, Janet Starnes. The couple would marry in Clovis, New Mexico on February 14, 1954. In 1958, Barney saw the arrival of his only child, Scott. The family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1962, when Barney accepted a job to work in the Licensing and Patent Department for Phillips. For the next twenty-three years, he would travel the world in his role as a manager in the Plastics Division. In August 1985, he ended a successful thirty-four year career with Phillips, retiring to his beloved game of golf and family. He remained in Bartlesville until May 2010, upon which time he moved to Naperville, Illinois to be closer to his son and his family and live out his remaining days. Throughout his life, Barney was highly patriotic and had a deep love for his country. He was respected by his family for his honesty, trust, guidance and support. His convictions to his life and the principles for which he lived by, served as a fine example to his family as to what they too should strive to be and become as a human being. Barney is preceded by his wife, Janet, and survived by his son, Scott Vignovich and wife, Sue Ortlieb-Vignovich; grandsons, Nicholas Vignovich, Michael Vignovich and William Vignovich; step granddaughter, Alexandra Ortlieb; brother, Nicholas Vignovich, and wife, Mimi Vignovich; sister-in-law, Dolores Vignovich; nieces, Dorothy Dunn, Barbara Joy Hanna, Eva Louise O'Brien; nephew, James Hanna and wife, Nancy Hanna; great nieces, Deb Richter and husband, Doug Richter; Diane Schleisman and husband, Terry Schleisman, and great nephew, Rich Dunn.

Visitation Details

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 4:00pm - 8:00pm, Arnold Moore & Neekamp Funeral Home

Service Details

Thursday, April 18th, 2013 10:00am, Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville

Interment Details

Memorial Park Cemetery Bartlesville