Dr. Emile A. Barrow

As the sun rose on his beloved bayou, Dr. Emile A. Barrow of Monroe, LA, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his wife, daughters, and dear friend Michelle after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He embraced his final years with even greater love and intention, caring for his patients, spending time with his grandchildren, tending his azaleas, and angling for one last trophy fish.

A proud army veteran, Dr. Barrow served his country for 17 years and received his Medical Degree in Cardiology from Louisiana State University. After his residency at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., he was stationed in Hawaii and San Antonio before choosing to settle in a medically underserved community where his talents as a physician could do the most good, and he could raise his family in the comfort of a small town. Partnering with his son-in-law was an unexpected but welcome surprise, which helped him stay in practice for over 50 years. Dedicated to his craft, Dr. Barrow was passionate about continued education, and his loyal staff were more like family than employees. His devoted nurse Michelle Robinson, his “i-Michelle,” who helped keep him humming down the hospital halls and laughing through long days and nights of call, was even at his side when he took his last breath.

Dr. Barrow was hard-working, generous, and patient, skilled at putting others at ease with a good-hearted joke and an easy smile. He loved deeply and was loved by many. Until their passing, he doted on his parents and siblings, and his favorite way to discipline his girls was to make them hug and apologize because “family was the most important thing.” For all his gregariousness at work, he was an introvert at heart, preferring to spend his time off in quiet pursuits and kept a small but cherished inner circle of friends.

He is survived by his loving wife, Roxana Barrow, and her grandchildren, Kade and Lyla Fortenberry; his daughter Wendy Napoli, her husband, Mark Napoli, and their children, Jake and Ella Napoli and his daughter Christianne Brunini, her husband, Tony Brunini, and their children, Brockman, Elliot, and Adeline Brunini; his stepdaughter Laura Folse, his cousin Sherry Burleigh, her daughter Shay Ball, and his nieces Leslie Hayley, Lauren Price, and Lisa Eibsen. He is preceded in death by his parents Rosalie Eisworth Barrow and Emile A. Barrow Sr., his sister Diane “Cookie” Eibsen, his brother Dana Barrow, and his stepdaughter Angela Fortenberry.

Services will be held at North Monroe Baptist Church on Sunday, May 7, 2023, with Rev. Warren Eckhardt officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 P.M., with services starting at 3:00 P.M., followed by a graveside ceremony at Mulhearn’s Memorial Park Cemetery, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home.

Pallbearers include Dr. Mark Napoli, Dr. James Ritelmeyer, Dr. Frank Sartor, Tony Brunini, Robert Foley, Jake Napoli, Kade Fortenberry, and Ronald Burleigh.

Honorary pallbearers include Richard McCarty, Glenn Freeman, Bob Eisworth, Laura Folse, Gene King, Dr. Robert Sarama, Dr. Antti Maran, Dr. John Smiaroski, Dr. Don Marx, Dr. John Michael Cage, and Dr. Larry Barr.

Thank you to all of the physicians and nurses who took such amazing care of the doctor when he became the patient, especially Dr. Ross Smith, Dr. Bernie McHugh, Dr. Hardy Gordon, Dr. Coy Gammage, Dr. Kerry Anders, and Dr. William Zollinger.

Special thanks to Barbara Thomas, Charmaine Thomas, and Shannon Wilhite, the sitters who lovingly helped the family provide the greatest of care.