Bryan Barfield Obituary, Death – Bryan Barfield On November 12, 1928, he was born in Wheat Swamp, which is located in Lenoir County, North Carolina. His parents were Micajah Bernice and Ethel Mae Wade Barfield. In the midst of the Great Depression, he spent his childhood on a modest tobacco farm with his two sisters, Ellen and Velma, and five brothers, Norman, Owen, Earl, Bruce, and Melvin (M.C. ), all of whom were deceased by the time he was born. Their father exemplified exemplary Christian beliefs, effective farm management skills, and a willingness to try new things; these are the attributes that directed Vic’s life and led to his success in all he attempted.
During World War II, his four elder brothers were deployed overseas for military service, and Bryan assisted his grandfather in running the farm and a country store close to their family’s home. Three of the four individuals went back to their homes. During the conflict, Norman lost his life, and he was survived by his wife and their two young daughters. Throughout his entire life, he carried with him a keen awareness of that loss. In 1945, Bryan received his diploma from Wheat Swamp High School, and the following year, at the age of 16, he enrolled in King’s Business College in Raleigh to study accounting. He joined the United States Army when he was 17 years old. During his time at home on furlough, his brother Owen instructed him on how to march, and along with his skills in accounting, he swiftly worked his way through the ranks to become a sergeant. General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave him with his diploma as he graduated from the officers’ training school at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania.
Between the years 1948 to 1952, he received his education at Duke University, where he supported himself by selling sandwiches and carrying laundry. After he graduated from Duke University’s Air Force ROTC program, he was offered a position at Stallings Air Field in Kinston. He was one of the first cadets to enroll in the program. There, he made the acquaintance of his future spouse, a resident of Raleigh named Carolyn Clement. After getting married in 1954, Bryan and Carolyn eventually moved to Raleigh, where Bryan was offered a job as an auditor for the Department of Public Instruction of the State of North Carolina in 1957. In the year 1960, he was given the position of budget officer for the Department of Conservation and Development of the state. In 1967, he was given the position of assistant to the director, and in 1969, he was given the position of deputy director. In 1971, the organization was renamed the Department of Natural and Economic Resources, and he was promoted to the position of Deputy Secretary at that time. The Holshouser administration undertook more reform efforts, which led to the establishment of the Department of Commerce, which he served as Deputy Secretary of from 1978 to 1984.
He embarked on a journey around the world to raise awareness of the state and attract potential new investors and businesses. Respect and influence throughout the state were won by him as a result of his energy, organization, and winning attitude. In an editorial published in the News and Observer on October 16, 1984, the author referred to him as a “model of a thoroughly professional civil servant” and stated that he gave “honor to the term ‘bureaucrat.'” Vic took over the operations of FIAC (Financial Institutions Assurance Corporation) at the request of North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt. FIAC is a private insurer that protects around 60 credit unions and savings & loan institutions across the state of North Carolina and beyond. As a result of a widespread problem in the savings and loan industry that originated in Ohio, similar institutions were required to switch to being insured by the federal government. Vic’s primary responsibility was to wind down FIAC and issue refunds to depositors. He considerably surpassed their expectations in every way.
In the late 1980s, Vic established a consulting firm under the name Barfield and Associates and began working as a lobbyist for organizations that were seeking funding from the federal government. Particularly appreciative of the efforts you made on his behalf to win funding from the federal government for the University of Montana, he stated. He served in that capacity for former North Carolina Secretary of Commerce and United States Senator D. M. “Lauch” Faircloth from 1993 until 1995. He became a co-owner of Hopper Piano and Organ Company with Lee Hopper in the late 1960s and served as the company’s bookkeeper. He maintained an office there until he turned 90 years old.
