Obituary of Barry E. Kroll

Beloved Husband, Father and Community Volunteer

Barry Edward Kroll, 78, of Madison New Jersey died peacefully on March 29, 2026,  in Morristown New Jersey after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his family, who will grieve the loss of his energy, humor, sense of adventure and incredible generosity.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on September 17, 1947, he spent his childhood and early years on Chicago’s near-north side. While a teenager an event that might have otherwise -- over time –- been nothing more than an unpleasant memory instead changed the course of his life. While walking past a YMCA several kids came out of the door and started a fight, pummeling Barry. The next day, his mother sent him back to the Y to report the incident. Within an hour he was handing out towels at the Y’s locker room desk as a volunteer. He went on to work for YMCAs in Chicago, San Francisco, Oakland, California and Madison, New Jersey for the next 45 years.

Barry remained passionate throughout his many roles at the Y, supervising programs like aquatics, camping, and physical fitness. As an executive, he pioneered the first cardiac stress testing facility outside of a hospital in the US. In San Francisco, he led revitalization of the downtown Embarcadero YMCA, bringing it from a $300,000 budget to $7 million. Later, he supervised thirteen branches of the San Francisco YMCA. He was the CEO of the downtown Oakland YMCA; at the time a brand-new downtown facility considered the premiere YMCA in the country.  In 1995, he moved with his family to New Jersey to oversee the Madison Area YMCA, bringing it from 7000 members to 12,000 and growing the budget from $3.5 million to nearly $10 million. As CEO, Barry, his staff and the board completed Plan 2000 – a $5 million expansion and renovation of the Y’s Family Center on Kings Road. Recognizing the Y’s board, staff and volunteers at his retirement celebration in 2010, he said of his years at the Madison YMCA, “I have been given credit for making these things happen, but I really feel like an orchestra conductor. Without an orchestra, a conductor really can’t do anything.” 

After his retirement, Barry turned his love of volunteering and service full time to the Rotary Club of Madison, where he held roles as Club President, District Governor, and District representative to the Rotary International Council on Legislation. He was devoted to the Rotary mission of ‘Service Above Self’ and built and managed the club and districts websites while also leading many Rotary training events and community outreach activities. A role he especially loved was co-chairing an annual cultural exchange program for local teens to travel to Japan for three weeks and reciprocal hosting of Japanese students within the local Rotary district. He met and loved many friends from his Rotary volunteerism. It was a second home and career for him after his YMCA retirement.

In addition to Rotary, Barry served on the Madison Downtown Development Commission, was a founding member of A Taste of Madison, former chair of the Madison/Florham Park Interfaith Council and a former member of Morris County United Way Agency Relations. Team. He was a trustee for Grace Counseling Center, the Madison Community Pool, and is a former member of MAASA and a former volunteer for the United Methodist Church in Madison.

Barry was adventurous and always excited about new experiences. He loved figuring out how things work. He was a SCUBA diver in the 60s, earned  a private pilot license in the 70s taught himself personal computing in the 80’s, learned winemaking in the 90s. In the 2000s he traveled extensively, did a short stint as an Uber driver, and took great delight in raising vegetables at the Madison Community Garden.

Barry graduated from George Williams College (now Aurora University.)

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Kroll and Mildred (Augustyn) Kroll, and is survived his wife Judy Kroll of Madison, daughter Lesley Kroll and son-in-law Josh Mandell of Baltimore, MD, his brother, Kenneth Kroll of Wheaton Illinois, niece Sara Kubitz (Roger) and grandnephews Connor and Mason Kubitz of Clover, SC. A celebration of life will be held later this year.

Donations in lieu flowers may be made to:

Madison Area YMCA: 111 Kings Road, Madison NJ 07940

In Memory of Barry Kroll | Madison Area YMCA

Frost Valley YMCA: 2000 Frost Valley Road, Claryville, NY 12725

https://frostvalley.org/donate

Madison Rotary: PO Box 211 Madison NJ 07940

https://madisonrotarynj.org/donate

Home for Good Dog Rescue

https://homeforgooddogs.org/onetimedonation/

Arrangements are under the care of Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, Madison, NJ.