Barry E. Nesja

Barry E. Nesja passed away peacefully on May 15, 2026, in the home he built on the Dana Family homestead in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin. His children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were able to say goodbye to him in the days before his passing.

He was born in 1935, to Maude (Dana) and Engebret Nesja. He grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated from Memorial High School. After briefly attending Eau Claire Teachers College, he joined the U.S. Air Force. In 1956 he married Mary E. Peloquin and became a lithographer for Johnson Printing (now Johnson Litho Graphics) where he worked until his retirement.

Barry shared his love of the outdoors with his six children, taking them up to the family cabin in Northern Wisconsin for a week’s vacation every year, and when they got older, fishing and hunting trips. He also enjoyed canoeing and loved taking family and friends on more excursions than can be counted. In the early 1970s, he formed “The Old Printer’s Canoe Club” with friends from work and canoed with them every year until his health did not allow it.

Barry enjoyed sports and wanted his children to have a chance to participate in them, so he helped found the Hallie Youth Baseball league in 1970 and the Youth Hockey League soon after. Barry coached baseball for 30 years, instilling in his sons, and hundreds of other boys who called him “Coach Barry”, a love for sports, fair play, and camaraderie.

Barry was also a Scout Master for the Boy Scouts. Many of the boys he mentored made a point of thanking him in their adult lives for the positive influence he had on them.

Other interests and activities that Barry enjoyed were cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, making maple syrup, taxidermy and drawing cartoons. He drew cartoons for his high school newspaper and created posters for local youth sports events.

Barry had a wonderful life. He always had a positive outlook and was generous with his time, knowledge and especially, his love. You could see that love when he danced with Mary, when he helped haul his children’s cars from snowy ditches and when he cradled his family in his arms.

His last few years were difficult, a daily battle with his failing body, but his mind and spirit kept him strong, kept him going. He wanted to be there for the love of his life, his wife, Mary and his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. To see them grow, to prod them on when needed and praise them for their good work. To give them that small, knowing smile that told them that everything was going to be okay. And so it was, and is, and will be.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; brother, Michael Nesja; children, Dana (Larry) Sommerfeld, Cubby (Lisa) Nesja, Chris (Becky) Nesja, Paul (Christy) Nesja, Peter (Kirsten) Nesja and Mary Beth (Tom) Huffcutt. His 19 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Barry was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Christian and Stephen Nesja; and sister-in-law, Erica Nesja.

Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., Friday, June 12 at St. Olaf Catholic Church, Eau Claire. A funeral service will follow at 12 p.m. with Fr. William Felix officiating.

Interment will be held at Prairie View Cemetery in the village of Lake Hallie with military rites conducted by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred and will be used to honor Barry’s memory at Hallie Park and other local youth programs.