Printing Industry Mourns Passing of Edward E. Barr

By Ashley Roberts

Edward E. Barr, the former CEO and chairman of Sun Chemical who helped transform the company into the world’s largest producer of printing inks and graphic arts materials, died February 13, 2026, at the age of 89.

For more than four decades, Barr’s influence shaped not only Sun Chemical, but the global printing and packaging industries at large.

“When I think of Ed, I think of inspiration, leadership, family culture, and front-line involvement,” Chris Parrilli, former president of Sun Chemical’s North American Graphics and Packaging division, shared with Printing Impressions. “Our customers and our people were key priorities for Ed. His industry leadership lifted the performance of Sun Chemical and our competitors. It was a privilege to work under him.”

Building a Global Powerhouse

After graduating at the top of his class from New York University's School of Commerce (now NYU Stern), Barr attended Harvard Law School before opting to pursue a Master’s in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Barr joined Sun Chemical in 1962 as assistant to the president, but his rise through the organization was swift: group vice president, executive vice president of Packaging, and then president and COO by 1975. Barr’s son, Edward Barr, shared with Printing Impressions that when he joined the business, it was nearly “a cottage industry,” but that he saw an opportunity to be a change agent.

Change came with his first decision to focus on the company’s business of core ink and pigment segments, this included the divestiture of non-core businesses.

In 1982, he left the company for four years, but returned in 1987 and was named CEO. Sun Chemical was already a key player in printing inks and graphic arts materials, but under his leadership, it became a global powerhouse.

“Ed was a true icon of our industry and a leader of immense courage,” Russell Schwartz, Sun Chemical vice president and CTO, told Printing Impressions. “His vision helped shape the landscape we work in today, but his greatest legacy lies in the people he championed. He had a major influence on my own career, and I am just one of many who owe our professional growth to him.”

Barr played a pivotal role in strengthening Sun’s relationship with Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC), ultimately helping guide the acquisition of Sun’s graphic arts materials group and deepening the strategic partnership between the two companies. He later served on DIC’s board from 1988 to 2002.

Together with DIC President and CEO Shigekuni Kawamura, Barr championed a philosophy that was visionary at the time: operate as a truly multinational enterprise — thinking globally while acting locally. This was achieved by appointing regional leadership roles to those from that area.

When Barr first joined Sun Chemical, the company generated approximately $25 million in sales. By the time he retired in 2003, revenues exceeded $3.5 billion, not including its 50% stake in Kodak Polychrome Graphics, which itself surpassed $1.7 billion in sales before being sold to Kodak.

Leadership Through Turbulence

Barr’s tenure spanned 19 years at the helm of Sun Chemical, during which he increased profits every single year. He also held firm to principles that extended beyond quarterly results, remaining a strong advocate for maintaining employee pension plans despite pressures not to do so. Edward Barr explained to Printing Impressions that his father was especially focused on “those on the plant floor who he believed might not be able to fully understand the investment decisions and risks they were taking on in a defined benefit contribution plan.”

In addition to Sun Chemical, Barr served as Chairman of Kodak Polychrome Graphics and held leadership or board roles at Presstek, NewlineNoosh, United Water, cPacket Networks, Sequa Corporation, Courtaulds PLC, and Wachovia, among others.

Jeff Jacobson, executive chairman and board member of EFI, shared on LinkedIn that he previously worked with Barr, meeting him in 1987, around the time Sun Chemical became responsible for Polychrome.

“I became fortunate in later years that I was able to call him ‘Ed,’ and he became my life-long business mentor,” he wrote. “In fact, I always referred to him as my ‘business father.’ … Under Ed’s leadership, Sun Chemical took on the giants of the European industry and created a business from virtually nothing into a European leader. He personally convinced me in 1993 to forgo a career in the legal profession, and moved me from human resources to operations.”

An Enduring Industry Legacy

Barr’s influence extended beyond corporate leadership. He served as chairman of New Jersey’s Board of Higher Education and led the state’s Commission on Science and Technology, helping guide economic development initiatives. A lifelong advocate for education, Barr remained deeply involved with NYU’s Stern School of Business, serving on its Board of Overseers and helping pioneer one of the school’s first global immersion programs.

Mel Ettinger, CEO at Business Technology Solutions, former colleague of Barr’s, and longtime friend, shared with Printing Impressions a heartfelt note about the news of his passing.

“To say Ed was a friend doesn't quite capture it — he was my boss for many years at Sun Chemical, he was my mentor, and the person who shaped the very foundation of my life,” he said. “For over 50 years, I had the privilege of working and walking alongside him. Any success that I achieved in my career, I owe to his guidance.”

Edward E. Barr’s career coincided with the globalization of the printing industry, the consolidation of ink and materials suppliers, and the increasing sophistication of packaging and graphic arts technologies. Through it all, he demonstrated that disciplined strategy, cross-cultural collaboration, and principled leadership could drive sustained growth.

“Sometimes, the word ‘icon’ is used too loosely, but Ed truly was one of THE industry icons,” Jacobson wrote. “I can say that I learned more about the business world from Ed, than anyone else, and I have been fortunate to be exposed to a lot of great business minds. I am blessed to have migrated from an employee of Ed’s to a friend. He truly was my business father. I will miss him dearly, but his legacy and business learnings will live on.”

Barr’s obituary notes in lieu of flowers, to consider donating to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Friends of the Shelter Island Public Library, or the Shelter Island Historical Society.