Barry A. Bennington, age 85, passed away on April 27, 2026 at his home in St. John, Kan., due to pulmonary fibrosis.

He was born on Jan. 27, 1941, in St. Louis, Mo., the only child of Hugh and Jessie (Long) Bennington. Barry graduated from Cheney High School, Cheney, Kan., in 1959 as salutatorian of his class. He joined the United States Marine Corps and served three years (1963-65) in the USMC Reserves.

He attended the University of Kansas, receiving a B.S. degree in business administration in 1963, and later attended the school of law there, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1967. He moved to St. John, joining Emerson Shields in the practice of law. In 1980, he was appointed as a district judge, Division One, of the 20th Judicial District of the State of Kansas, serving on the bench for 24 years. After retiring from the bench, he served as senior judge for the Supreme Court until his second retirement om July 1, 2011. 

He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, St. John Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, and Stafford County and Kansas Bar Associations. He also was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Cheney and St. John, and had a private pilot license. After retirement, Barry and Lynette enjoyed traveling to national parks and visiting their grandchildren. They enjoyed fishing in Belize, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, but especially enjoyed their 19 years of fishing in Bahia de Kino Mexico on the Sea of Cortez.

Survivors include his wife, Lynette S. (Hargett) Bennington, St. John; a son, Eric (Marka) Keddie, Fort Smith Ark.; three daughters, Wendy (Kenneth) Hacker, St. John, Valerie Vidmar, Rochester, N.Y., and Mandi (Brian) Dunn, Olathe; brother and sister-in-law, Kevin (Melva) Hargett, Shawnee, Kan.; 11 grandchildren, Kendra (Kevin) Hayes, Kyler Keddie, Derek (Jordan) Hacker, Trey (Marissa) Keddie, Gannon (Abby) Keddie, Mason Dunn, Mackenzie Hacker, Sarah Dunn, Henry Dunn, Zoe Vidmar, Harper Vidmar; one great-granddaughter on the way; and two nieces and two nephews. Barry was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Jessie Bennington.

Visitation will be on Friday, May 1, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Minnis Chapel, St. John, with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 2, at the First United Methodist Church, St. John, with Pastor Benjamin Simba presiding. Burial will follow in the Fairview Park Cemetery, St. John.

Memorial checks may be written to First United Methodist Church, Friends of the Library, or Stocking Stuffers of Central Kansas, all in care of Minnis Chapel, P.O. Box 34, St. John, KS 67576.