Barnaby Myhrum

It is with great sadness that we announce Barnaby Myhrum passed away from a heart attack on December 27, 2025, in Chester, Vermont. He was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, on February 21, 1958, to Barbara Bentley and Robert Myhrum, and was the youngest of four children. The family moved to their home in Peru, Vermont, when he was young, and from then on, he considered the Vermont lifestyle to be his true north. His early years were enriched by visits to the set of Sesame Street, where his father was a director, as well as summers spent at the family cabin in Michigan and riding horses with his mother in Vermont.

Barnaby was a well-informed person whose intelligence and dry sense of humor marked his conversations and friendships. He had a deep love for poetry and often quoted Robert Frost, saying, “A poem starts with a lump in the throat.” He could barely recite the pieces that moved him. On the other hand, he also had a fondness for naughty limericks and had memorized many. He was always curious about how things worked and often traveled the roads of Vermont just to see where they went. He needed to know what was going on in the world and was a news junkie who stayed on top of understanding and analyzing all sorts of events. He always called a spade a spade.

Barnaby was a great observer of nature, and in addition to being able to call owls in, many other wild animals showed up for him in special ways. He enjoyed the outdoors and spent time bird hunting, fishing, hiking, and skiing, at which he excelled. He also enjoyed tennis and golf. Food was another interest; he loved all sorts of dining experiences and was happy to go from diner to fine dining, as long as the service was great.

He graduated from Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, and went on to earn a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont. While there, he helped start the men’s lacrosse team and was a co-captain his senior year. He was also the school’s winter-season Charlie Catamount mascot and both skated and skied at events in costume, using his wry humor to win over the crowds. He completed his education with an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Barnaby’s professional career included several years in aeronautical engineering, where he worked on the design of turbine engines for large commercial and military applications. After completing his MBA, he went on to manage engineering and manufacturing businesses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later in southern Vermont, where he lived for the rest of his life.

In retirement, Barnaby enjoyed working on building projects at his home in Chester or puttering in the kitchen, making his crowd-favorite gravlax or homemade smoked maple sausage breakfast sandwiches. He also delighted in spotting wildlife around the house, from many varieties of birds to a grey fox who happily sat in a chair on the front porch. On the day he died, a flock of mallards slowly paddled in a circle behind the house.

He is survived by his wife, Lisa McNealus; his children, Cally Myhrum and Phoebe Bentley (Courtney), from his first marriage; his stepchildren, Cooper McNealus (Sarah) and Leyte McNealus; and his siblings, Phoebe Clark (Hugh), Polly Myhrum (Myron Adams), and Christopher Myhrum (Stefanie Moye), along with beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and a great-nephew.

In lieu of flowers, and with great gratitude for all expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made in Barnaby’s memory to Vermont Public in support of their programming.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Landgrove Meeting House in Landgrove, Vermont, on Sunday, May 3, 2026.