He was the father of Hall of Famer Ron Barassi Jr.[1] At the height of his football career, he enlisted in the army during the Second World War and was killed during the Siege of Tobruk.

Barassi's grandfather was Swiss of Italian speaking background[2] who migrated to the Colony of Victoria in the 1850/60s.

[5] Serving in the military campaign in North Africa, he was killed in action at Tobruk in 1941, the first VFL footballer to die in the conflict.

[4] He was buried at the Tobruk War Cemetery in Libya, alongside other Commonwealth servicemen.

& Allen, D., Fallen — The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.