Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 17, 1995                   TAG: 9507170138
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LISA GARCIA
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DONALD BARROWS, FURRIER, DIES

Barrows, known by his customers as Mr. Don, was Roanoke's last master furrier.

Furs by Don opened in Roanoke in 1952. It closed in May because of Barrows' illness, according to his wife of 39 years, Ruth Barrows.

Ruth Barrows said she and her husband were ``so sad'' to have to close the business. ``We sent out 4,500 letters'' to tell what happened, she said.

There is no hope of Furs by Don being reopened, Ruth Barrows said. The eldest son who had worked in the family business for 20 years died of a massive heart attack in 1993 right after being made the company's vice president. Another son died while serving in Vietnam and yet another changed careers and now lives in Ohio. A daughter worked for the family business modeling the furs until about five years ago.

Ruth Barrows said her husband started in the fur business at age 19, working for Heironimus. He gained more experience at another company before starting his own business in his late 30s.

``There are 87 different furs,'' Ruth Barrows said, ``and it takes 20 years to learn [the business].''

Furs by Don had customers in nearly every state and a few in Ireland. Don Barrows purchased pelts from New York and designed coats for special orders, with prices in the $150,000 range for those made of sable.

``He made coats for millionaires and working-class people,'' Ruth Barrows said.