DePauw Stories

Member of legendary hoops team left an indelible mark on his community

“The DePauw community is something else.” Randy Stokely, ‘67 had that to say when reflecting on how so many of his DePauw classmates came together to honor the late Dennis “Denny” Barrett, ‘67. DePauw friends have rallied around the Barrett family to support fundraising for an Indianapolis youth sports facility to be named in Dennis’ honor. The honor, which came nearly two years after his passing, will have a lasting impact on the family and community.

Denny Barrett was one of the first victims of COVID in Indiana. It was a shock when this healthy and active former collegiate basketball player lost his life in March, 2020. Denny’s wife, Sally Crowden Barrett, ‘67, reflects on that time and said, “Denny died in such tough conditions. Only 17 or 18 people could attend his services in person. So many couldn’t be there to hug or cry with us.”  

Denny and the DePauw community were deeply intertwined. Two younger brothers, Dale ‘70 and Rex ‘74, followed him to DePauw. He had the good fortune of meeting his wife, Sally Crowden Barrett ‘67, at DePauw. When he went to graduate school, he roomed with two DePauw classmates - Stokely and David Hoover ‘67. And when Barrett and Stokely became business partners, they collaborated with and hired dozens of DePauw graduates over the more than 40 years of running their real estate business in Indianapolis.  

Sally placed Denny’s DePauw letter jacket in his casket among other beloved items. It wasn’t until about a year and a half later that they were able to hold a larger memorial service. People came and told stories, former teammates and rivals contributed to a video, and there was some measure of closure for this tight-knit family. 

A short time after that memorial service, First Baptist Athletics, approached the family with a proposal to honor Denny’s memory by naming a planned community and youth sports facility after him. The Denny Barrett Fieldhouse and Chambers Family Park would be the newest part of Indianapolis’s venerable First Baptist Athletics program. “We were floored when they approached us with this,” said Sally. 

Denny had coached three children and so many of their peers through the FBA baseball and basketball programs. He even tried his hand at coaching soccer. It’s no surprise to his DePauw teammates that he was versatile and willing to go above and beyond as a father and community servant. “In college, Denny was a ‘glue guy’”, said Jack Hogan ‘67.

Hogan and Barrett were fierce rivals in high school. “We hated each other's guts,” Hogan said, adding quickly that Denny became one of his best friends when they enrolled at DePauw. The two were part of a legendary DePauw basketball team - Denny the glue guy, Hogan the hero - that was a bit of a giant slayer.  

Denny’s college friends and teammates described him as a competitor, an ally, and a friend. And they note, he carried those traits through the years as he and Sally raised a family, ran a successful business, and stayed involved in the community. Now, this facility bearing his name will serve the hundreds of kids who have been on the waiting list, and hundreds more on top of that, for years to come. More competition, allegiance and friendship. 

(L-R: Steve Carr, Sally Barrett, Bryan Barrett, Carol and Brad Chambers, Mayor Joe Hogsett, Erik Barrett, Lauri Kauffman, Reverend Evan Bever)

“Denny Barrett’s legacy contributed an amazing spirit and momentum to this $11 million dollar campaign,” said FBA’s Director Steve Carr. Randy Stokely agreed, “Lilly Endowment kicked off this campaign with a large gift and then the family, community and so many of Denny’s DePauw friends - even some old rivals - have stepped up and committed to this project.” Denny Barrett was something else. 

Special thanks to Sally Crowden Barrett ‘67, Steve Carr, Jack Hogan ‘67 and Randy Stokely ‘67 for their contributions to this article.