I have been a follower on this forum for a number of years. And, only a few of you will recognize me. I have been Barry's friend for more than 35 years. We met many years ago when he ran a bulletin board and instantly became friends because we had so many common interests. At that time, we both had high profile positions in the Information Technology sector. Each of us was interested in the very early 8-bit home computers (which were state of the art in those days). I always thought I was really good with a soldering iron. Once I met Barry, I never thought that again. Barry was the most talented person I ever met when it came to printed circuit boards. He and I spent many hours updating our computers and early disk drives.
It didn't take Barry long to get me hooked on trains. We spent many hours attending local train shows. Often driving as far as Jacksonville (almost 2 hours each way). But, spending time with Barry was always time well spent. He was one of those rare individuals who honestly knew how to be a friend. I always knew if I needed something, I could count on Barry to be there for me. And, when Barry had his heart incident at York a number of years ago, I tried my best to be there for him as he worked so hard to recover. Many of you don't know this. But, Barry struggled to learn to write his name quickly. If it was his turn to pick up the lunch check, he would ask me to "time him" to see how long it took him to sign the check. He kept track of these times so he could track his progress.
We often met for lunch and, again, the time I was able to spend with Barry was time well spent. We disagreed on some political issues. But, we always respected each other's opinion and kept an open mind when listening. The last time I had lunch with Barry was just a couple of weeks ago. He was painfully thin and walked with increasing hesitation. I expressed concern for my friend. He told me not to worry and quickly changed the subject asking me how my wife was doing as she recovered from a recent fall in our home.
Barry's life was an example all of us can follow. He was unselfish in his willingness to share his knowledge and help others. I can remember the excitement in his voice as he told me about a train layout he was going to install at a local Ronald McDonald house where families of pediatric cancer patients could stay while their children received treatment. Giving back to the community was something that was always important to Barry.
Rest in peace, my friend. I will miss being able to spend time with you.
