W. Raymond Barrett, a St. Louis area businessman. Louis, dies aged 91

Barrett was known for starting and building two large, successful companies in unrelated fields. Lewis Sheats, executive director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Louis, said that was unusual.

“He’s like the perfect role model of an entrepreneur for students to emulate,” Sheats said. “All of us come with feelings; the difference is working on it. Ray always dealt with it. ”

Landshire, which sold hot sandwiches at drug stores, schools, bowling alleys and other locations, started in 1960 and grew into a multi-million dollar company with franchises in 37 cities. of America, the Virgin Islands and Venezuela. Barrett sold Landshire in 1977 to Southland Corp., the parent company of 7-Eleven.

Biomedical Systems, which Barrett started in 1975 and sold in 2017 to Philadelphia-based ERT, makes things like heart rate monitors with portable monitors, monitors and stores EKG data and working in clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies. At the time of the sale, Biomedical had 300 employees in the United States and 100 overseas.

In recent years, Barrett has gone third, adding three colored lines to golf balls that improve putting by helping with vision.

After nearly a decade of trying to impress companies on his Triple Track concept, he struck a licensing deal in 2017 with golf equipment firm Callaway to distribute the ball.

Barrett, who earned a BBA in business administration and management from the University of St. Louis, received the university’s Alumni Merit Award in 1989 and was inducted into its Business Hall of Fame in 2007.

Barrett grew up in north St. Louis and attended the former DeAndreis High School. He served in the Army in Korea before attending SLU.

In the 1960s, he served five years on the Florissant City Council.

He moved to Des Peres in 1969, where he ran for mayor in 1972. Election results showed Barrett tied with his opponent, who was later elected by the city’s aldermen to take the job. The city in 2020 honored Barrett for his role in advocating for the creation of Des Peres Park with a plaque in the park.

Over the years Barrett served on the boards of community and charitable organizations, including The BackStoppers Inc., which helps families of first responders killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

In the 1990s, he started a program called HAND-UP, which helped families with financial assistance and counseling.

Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Clement of Rome, 1510 Bopp Road, Des Peres, followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 am.

Survivors include his wife, Diane Barrett of Des Peres; three sons, Tim Barrett of Clayton, Dan Barrett of Ladue and Pat Barrett of Des Peres; a daughter, Kathleen Ruth of Southlake, Texas; two sons, Brick Storts IV of St. Louis and Don Breckenridge Jr. of Town and Country; two sisters, Janet Klingler of Des Peres and Mary Ann Shanahan of Ladue; 24 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.