A funeral service will be held at Post Chapel on Ft. Myer on Tuesday, August 25th at 11 a.m. immediately followed by burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

Please arrive by 10:30 a.m. All adults over the age of 18 must have a REAL ID.

Visitation will be February 21, 2026

Greene Funeral Home 814 Franklin Street Alexandria, VA 22314

Visitation: 12:00pm to 2pm

Command Sergeant Major Charles Jenkins Barber, Sr., U.S. Army (Retired), a proud U.S. Army veteran and a pillar of strength and kindness, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2026, at the age of 94.

He was born on September 23, 1931, in Waynesboro, Georgia, to John Wesley Barber, Sr. and Laura Mae Young Barber. He was raised in Pompano, Florida, where his family relocated during his early childhood.

Charles enlisted in the United States Army on December 8, 1948, beginning a distinguished military career that spanned more than 28 years. He retired on June 30, 1976, having attained the Army’s highest enlisted rank, Command Sergeant Major (E-9). In 1951, while stationed at Fort Jackson, Charles met the love of his life, Odessa Laura Bossard Barber. They married in 1953 and shared more than 38 years together, during which they welcomed two children.

Preceding Charles in death are his beloved wife, Odessa Laura Bossard Barber; his father, John Wesley Barber, Sr.; his mother, Laura Mae Young Barber Hall; his stepfather, Collis Hall; and eight cherished siblings: Cozetta Barber Russell, Marie Barber Hall, John Wesley Barber, Jr., Lenward Barber, Hestella Evelyn Barber, Arthur Barber, Marion Sylvester Barber, and Robert Lee Barber.

He leaves to cherish his memory his loving son, Charles J. Barber, Jr., and devoted daughter, Cassandra Jo Barber, both of Bowie, Maryland; sisters-in-law Mary Alice Johnson Barber of Tamarac, Florida, and Mary Ann Barber of Taylor, Michigan; brother-in-law Elder Rayfield Showers of Coconut Creek, Florida; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members, and friends whom he loved deeply.

Visitation

Feb

21

Greene Funeral Home, Inc. | Alexandria, VA

814 Franklin Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

12:00 PM