Gene Turner Barfield, Jr., 57, of Bethel, formerly of Ridgefield, died on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014 at Danbury Hospital.
Mr. Turner was born in Olney, Md., March 15, 1957, a son of Gene T. and Estelle (Lombardi) Barfield of Bethel.
An area resident since 1964, he attended Ridgefield schools and graduated from Ridgefield High School in the Class of 1975 and the University of Connecticut at Storrs.
Initially as a hobby, Mr. Turner became a self-taught chef having owned and operated restaurants in several locations within the United States.
He was a volunteer with the American Red Cross in the disaster relief program and served in Texas following Hurricane Katrina.
He traveled throughout the United States and South America and enjoyed fishing, skiing and cooking.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by six sisters, Barbara Wilkins and her husband, Thomas of Shelburne, Vt., Joan Grune and her husband, Robert of Ponte Verda, Fla., Donna Barfield of Kew Gardens, N.Y., Patricia Fredlund and her husband, Peter of Milton, Ga., Julie Martens and her husband, David of Darien and Carol Brown and her husband, Chris of New Haven; a brother, James H. Barfield of Phoenix, Ariz.; six nephews and eight nieces.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. in the Church of St. Mary, 26 Dodgingtown Road, Bethel.
Interment will take place in Georgia.
There will be no calling hours.
Contributions to the American Red Cross would be appreciated.
Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street, is in charge of arrangements.