Tragic Loss!! Barry Broskowitz

I'm praying for Cora and the rest of the family and friends.  I will certainly miss Barry!  I am glad I met him face to face at York!

Jim, Thank you for posting!  I see RJR also posted, but just titled it A Good Friend Passes.

Very sorry to hear this...

Condolences to family and friends.  He certainly leaves a powerful and helpful legacy to the hobby and industry.  Hail and farewell.

So very sad. Barry was such a helpful person in our hobby. A huge loss. My condolences to Cora and the rest of Barry's family. 

Deepest condolences to his family and friends. 

Jim Rawlings, thank you for informing us of Barry's tragic passing.  He is one man who made countless sacrifices to learn, improve upon, and educate us all on the MTH DCS system.  That devotion to the hobby has benefitted every single one of us. 

Whether you knew him or didn't know him, I can tell you that we all have lost a major contributor to our hobby. 

 Rest in peace Barry......

Jim Rawlings, thank you for informing us of Barry's tragic passing!

Was really shocked to hear this have happen so suddenly has always been very helpful to any one with dcs questions and answers on forum or at York with meeting he has held!

will be sincerely missed 

Alan

Another sad loss for our hobby and in particular this forum.  I have always enjoyed reading and posting on this forum but as of late these sad farewells are beginning to take a toll on me.  I suppose with each farewell we are all coming to grips with our own mortality.  Rest in peace Barry.

Yes, this is very sad.  Barry was "the man" when it came to solving DCS issues.  I really appreciate his book and forum posts.  My condolences to his family and friends.

NH Joe

My deepest condolences to the Family.

Rest in Peace Barry.

Dave

Yes, Barry will be missed by all of us.   It is a hard thing to deal with.   I talked to him a few days ago and he was very happy.  I do not even know what to say.   Barry was a good friend to many of us.

Marty

I was very sorry to hear of Barry's passing. Thanks to my partner Jim Barrett for calling and telling me the news.

My condolences to Cora, a great lady for a great man in the hobby.

Ed Boyle

Barry was indeed "the man" when it came to DCS knowledge and helping others learn the system.

He will be missed. 

My condolences to Cora and the family.

If you had a DCS question of any kind, Barry took the time to reply with the correct answer. He did it for me numerous times. He will be missed for sure.

Condolences to his family. Barry contributed to this hobby. He gave of his time and will be greatly missed.

Very sad news.....Right now, I am in shock as this was totally unexpected.  Barry will certainly be missed in many ways....  Bless his sweet wife Cora and their entire family as they go down this sad journey....

Barry was a help and friend to many in this hobby and will be missed. May God grant peace and comfort to Cora and family.

Quite a shock to hear this.

My condolences to the family. He will be greatly missed.   Joe

My deepest sympathies to his families. 

My deepest sympathies to his families!!

My condolences to Barry's family and friends on this very sad news. I never met Barry but I greatly appreciated and respected his helpfulness and the vast knowledge that he shared with Forum members.

MELGAR

My condolences to his wife and family.

Barry will be missed by this family as well that depending on him to answer tough questions and keep others from wrong opinions of the way DCS operated. He resolved many many issues almost like a judge and he was a teacher too.  I purchased all of his books that went well beyond what was in the instruction manuals and on the forum. I met him at York a few years back while he was giving one of his DCS sessions.  He was an amazing guy.

Totally unexpected. 

Condolences to his family.

Sorry to hear this.  He obviously expended a lot of time and energy to spread a greater understanding of some of the technical aspects of this hobby.  He will be missed.  Prayers for his family.

Words are so inadequate. He helped us all, always. We mourn the loss of a true friend and mentor. We pray for his family to help ease their grief.

My most sincere condolences to Barry's wife and family.  I only knew Barry through his posts here on the forum and although I don't use the DCS system it was apparent that his wealth of knowledge benefitted all who had need of his expertise.  He will be missed.

Very sorry to hear the news. Barry was such a reachable resource for the hobby. Great books and postings. Condolences to his family.

-Tom

There are names in the hobby of people who are well known on this forum.  I did not know Barry, but certainly knew who he was.  Sad to loose fellow O Gaugers and knowledgeable sources of help.  Condolences to his family and close friends.

I have been busy posting the news of Barry's passing on other social media sites so am a bit late in getting to this thread. There's really not much I can say, but I have copied and pasted the text I posted on Dottie Perry's Facebook page:

"Sincere condolences to Cora and all Barry's family and friends from the entire staff of O Gauge Railroading magazine. Barry was a frequent and very important contributor to our OGR Online Forum, in particular, and his expertise there will be sorely missed. The books he published about the MTH DCS (Digital Control System) are invaluable resources, and I can honestly say that his comprehensive knowledge of that system is likely irreplaceable. The photo Dottie posted shows Barry examining copies of his popular seller: The DCS O Gauge Companion. Rest in peace, my friend!"

RIP. Barry.

Rest in Peace Barry 

My prayers and condolences to Barry's family and friends.

Jim

Godspeed Barry, Thanks for all of your contributions here.  RIP.

Truly a shock to hear this.  I have all of Barry's books and enjoyed reading his posts.  You just had to post a question and he was right there with a response.  Our Guardian Angel of DCS,  He will be missed by all.  Rest in Peace Barry.

Very sad news.   Barry was always willing to share his vast knowledge to toy train electronics, particularly the MTH DCS System.   His York DCS User Group Meetings were a great help to me and to many others.   

May you rest in peace.  

Rest in peace my friend!!! Prayers for Cora and the family!!!!

Truly,  "Mr. DCS."

Condolences to his wife, family and friends.

Oh my goodness.    Barry was a fine man.   I only knew him thru the forum, yet he was always generous and courteous with his desire to help.

My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew him.

Im so sorry to hear. Thoughts go to his family and friends. He was a good man who really made a difference in this hobby. RIP

A real shocker.  So sorry to hear this.  Condolences to his family.  He will be greatly missed by many.

Prayers out to Cora and the whole family. We are so sorry for your loss of such a great man. He was so nice to share his knowledge with the rest of us here on the forum! RIP Barry!

Barry was a great fellow. His wife, Cora, is wonderful. My deepest sympathies go out to her, Barry’s family, and all their friends.

Our lives are richer because of Barry’s friendship and knowledge. Our lives are diminished by his loss. However, he will not be forgotten.

Peter

His invaluable knowledge and experience with all things DCS helped me enjoy this hobby more.

And it seemed he was always willing to give helpful advice to those that asked, he will be greatly missed.

My deepest condolences to Barry's family and friends. 

Very sorry and shocked to learn about the passing of Barry. He was truly a great guy and helpful to so many here. My thoughts and prayers to his wife, family and friends.

My condolences to all. We never met, but he was gracious with his advice, including a couple of personal responses to me.

Sad news indeed 

Fond memories are what we have to remember Barry. My most heartfelt condolences & prayers to his friends and family. He will be missed on this forum and by those who knew him personally God bless.

Ah Crap. I'll post something better when I get myself back together. It is a shocking and very tragic loss. WOW>

I just read this and I couldn't believe it. Condolences to Cora and the family.

Nothing else I can add but my prayers for his family.  

Condolences to the family of our own beloved DCS Guru. RIP good friend.

I'm shocked and saddened.  I never met Barry in person, but he reached out to personally help me via this forum more than once.  He was a friend to so many.  My deepest condolences to his family.

This is shocking and very sad news. I met Barry on a couple of occasions and attended one of his DCS user group meetings. He was a real gentleman and the DCS guru. He was incredibly helpful to those who asked for his assistance and was passionate about our hobby. One of the true icons of our hobby has passed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cora and the rest of his family.

A shock to hear this news.  Prayers to his family from my wife and I...........Paul. 

Barry has been thoughtful and helpful to so many people. My prayers are with Barry and his family.

I am very shocked and saddened to hear of Barry's passing. Thank you Jim for informing us.

I always made sure to read any posts Barry had, as he was in fact, the go-to man for DCS problems. Frequently his posts answered questions I had and had not yet posted, which save me and many others invaluable time and effort troubleshooting DCS issues. I agree with everyone else: He WILL be greatly missed!

Rest in Peace, Barry, knowing that you helped a great many of us become more comfortable with technology in general and DCS in particular.

Thank you for all you did.

Chris

Lehigh Valley High Railers

I'm shocked. I can't believe it. I have known him for many years. My heartfelt condolences to his family.

Its always to soon when they go.I send my condolences to all his friends and family.

So sad to hear this.  My condolences to his family. He will be missed by all of us.

It was obvious that Barry had a real passion for this hobby and helping those who asked. At least his memory will live on in his books and other publications.
I never met him but I'm sure he was a true gentleman. Condolences to his wife, family, and friends.

Yes, this is a very sad message to read, he was always friendly on the forum, a Genius on the MTH DCS System, and a true ambassador of the hobby. May the Lord be with his family and friends. Thank you for letting us know. 

I'm very saddened to hear about the loss of Barry.  He always impressed me with his knowledge, kindness, and willingness to help folks here on the OGR Forum.  Although I never met him personally, I will miss him.  He was a great contributor to our hobby.  My condolences to his wife and family.  

A great and tragic loss to the DCS community.  Barry was unmatched.

My condolences to his family.  

I am glad to have known him and will treasure his books all the more.  

Wow! What a shock. I am saddened to hear of his passing. I didn’t know him well but I met him at York once when I sold him a PS3 electro coupler from a steam kit I installed. He helped a lot of folks on this forum. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Definitely, a big loss to DCS enthusiasts and our hobby in general. 

What a loss. Barry was not only "Mr DCS", he was also an active member of the TCA and the Southern Div..   We will miss him. He helped so many folks in our hobby. 

RIP Barry!  Thoughts and prayers to Cora and the family.

Billy C

Man..oh..man...what a loss!!!  At last York he and a couple of other gents were "reprogramming"  ( I think) MTH stuff  FOR FREE ON HIS OWN TIME over near the black hall.  I spoke to him a bit, what a gracious man.  May his family be consoled (at least somewhat) by knowing he did good deeds for us UNTECH savvy folks.

Sorry to hear this. Yes definitely a shock. He will be missed.  My best memory was the hour long phone call troubleshooting my issue and him walking me though it. Definitely will be missed. Condolences to his family. 

I pray for his family and friends remember the good times they had with him.

Terrible news. I did not know Barry, but I did post a couple questions about buying my first MTH engine and he was very helpful. Sounds like that was his nature. In response, I just bought had my first MTH/DCS engine delivered Friday (from the OP, no less) and received Barry's book yesterday. I'm going to read it on vacation next week and was planning to shoot Barry a note after I had read it. Condolences to all who knew him.

I never met Barry anywhere but on the forum, he was always ready to debunk the DCS myths and help get folks get on the right path. I'll always remember he never missed an opportunity to hawk his book and that I will miss!

Condolences to his family and friends.

Such sad news. My condolences to his family. 

I just bought a steam engine from barry two weeks ago here on the forum. WOW this is shocking and very sad news. my deepest sympathies go out to his family. by owning one of his engines I now have a small piece of his legacy so to speak. the dcs world lost a good man.

Very sad news, my condolences to his family and friends.  That comes out of left field for sure!

This shocked alot of us. God bless his family and thank you Mr. DCS

Rest in peace Barry! You will sorely be missed...........

He will sorely be missed. His books are his legacy. The way he interacted to everyone on this Forum is irreplaceable. My sincerest condolences to his family.

What a shocker!  Rest In Peace.

He was a true believer in DCS and was always willing to help anyone that had an issue with it.  The hobby has just lost another great guy.

Side Rod

Very sad news.  My sincere condolences to Barry's family and friends.

So sad to hear of his passing. I purchased his DCS book just this winter and it has been and will be of great use to me and my boys as we learn more about building a solid functioning layout. Barry was always so quick to post responses to the forum members’ requests, mine included, at no expense to any of us simply so we could get more enjoyment out of our hobby it was amazing!! This was his gift to us and a gift that will keep on giving through his books. 

To Barry, one last thank you. To his family, my sincere condolences and prayers. 

Barry was a genuine positive force for our hobby. I will certainly miss his patient and ex[ert help on everything related to DCS. MTH may not know it, but they just lost their best "ambassador".

Don Merz

Barry will be missed.  I would go to his occasional talks when at York.  He did a great job keeping us up to date on anything new for DCS.  Thank you Barry for sharing your love of DCS.  Rest in peace.

Thanks Barry for all you’ve done for me personally and all of us on the Forum and at York. Bless you and your family.

Wally

Ohmigod, we have lost a true cornerstone of this hobby. Though I did not know him personally, I always felt like I did. I doubt there is anyone out there who knows as much about DCS as Barry did. Truly the go-to guy. My sincere condolences to his wife and family. May god speed.

Rod

So shocked. So sorry to read. Will miss you, big time, Barry. 

I’m so sorry to hear of Barry’s passing. My deepest condolences to his family.

Mat

Absolutely Shocking news as I thought Barry was in good health. He was always willing to dive in an help anyone who needed it. He leaves a tremendous gap in the hobby and will be missed greatly.  Thoughts and Prayers to his family... God speed Barry!

My heart is broken for Cora.  Sincerest condolences for her and their family from Lynley and I.  

Barry was instrumental in calming everyone's nerves and demonstrated how easy and fun DCS is.  But above all that he's done for us and this hobby, he was a husband and father with a family that will deeply miss his presence.  Personally, I will miss seeing Barry and Cora at the post DCS Meetings for pie at the Round The Clock Diner.  As part of this Forum Community we all feel the loss too.

My dealings with Berry were strictly on the OGR Forums when he would thoughtfully respond to my request for help regarding DCS.  I have no words to offer but I will remember him in my prayers.  Heartfelt condolences to his family.  He will be missed!

Chief Bob (Retired) 

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.  This is a hard loss to take as he touched so many lives in a positive way.

-Greg

I cannot say I knew him at all beyond his forum presence, but he certainly was willing to help when I posted my ignorant DCS questions. My deepest condolences. 

Is it just me or is this happening much to frequently lately? Truly a sad day for the family here and at home. He sure was the King of DCS and will be missed big time. Rest in peace Barry and condolences to his family and personal friends.

I am very sorry to hear. My condolences to all his family and friends. 

Like some others; I never met Barry in person but; when I had questions early on when I purchased my DCS system; he gratiously provided the info I needed.

My most sincere condolences to Barry’s wife, family and friends.

Curt

I first met Barry Broskowitz shortly after we announced DCS in the spring of the year 2000. Like many of those who met him, Barry was quick to express his opinions about our new command control protocol and his desires for its intended functionality. His background and software development and model railroading experience made him an ideal beta tester for the DCS system. Barry, along with Marty Fitzhenry and others provided M.T.H. with real-use guidance that helped make DCS what it is today.

But Barry's beta testing was just the tip of what he brought to the world of DCS. He spent tireless hours providing users on the forum, via email, phone and even in-person visits with guidance and support to help each of those users have a better DCS experience.

Barry traveled to York, Pennsylvania for the semi-annual York TCA Meet to conduct seminars in the M.T.H. booth. He organized the DCS User Group meetings the Wednesday before York. He would answer questions about DCS to anyone who asked with a style that was uniquely Barry. He did all of this without asking a dime from M.T.H.

Once DCS was released, Barry continued to assist us in the development of the system through his beta testing. He was always but a phone call away whenever we wanted to run something by him or have him try to replicate an issue reported by others. When he suggested that he author and publish a series of books on DCS, we gladly offered our help. When production of the book editions was occasionally hampered because the M.T.H. graphics team had other deadlines, Barry taught himself to use the publishing software to maintain the release schedule. He was doggedly persistent, one of the most persistent individuals I've ever known.

When Barry suffered a heart attack years ago at York, I had no doubt he would bounce back. He's persistent I thought. He'll get through that and be better because of it. And he did. And we continued to share monthly calls about the status and future direction of DCS. I enjoyed those chats. They encompassed more than DCS and I came to know Barry differently. I'll miss those conversations. He was my friend.

From all of us at M.T.H. Electric Trains, our deepest condolences go out to Cora and the rest of Barry's family.

A sad day in our world!  Condolences to his family.

We have lost a legend. He was always there to help, even when he had already published the answer in one of his books.  A very sad day, Barry will be greatly missed!  Thank you to his wife and family for their support of his work with the hobby, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Scott

This is really very sad news. Barry touched a lot of people in this hobby with his knowledge and passion for the MTH DCS Control System. He will be missed but not forgotten.

His legacy will live on in our memories of Barry and his contributions to the hobby. Cherish those memories and may they be a source of peace and comfort to Cora and his family and friends. May his memory be for a blessing.

Steve

Such a sad way to close out the weekend...Barry was such a great example to follow. So gracious with his expertise, never condescending, often offering his considerable talents without even being asked. He truly elevated the the hobby and everyone fortunate enough to benefit from his knowledge. My sincerest condolences to the family.

I am in shock to say the least. I have no words but Barry was MR.DCS in my book. God be with his family and friends. 

I have no words.

I didn't know Barry, but conversed with him here as late as a few weeks ago.

I too am in shock.

My condolences to Barry's family and friends.

RIP sir.

I am so sincerely sorry to hear about Barry's passing. His expertise and willingness to help anyone and everyone who has been challenged by the intricacies of DCS will always be his legacy. My sincerest condolences to Barry's family.

Four of us west coast lunatics went to The TCA York meet this last October knowing it was a must go for all of us. We had such a great time and we all got to meet  Barry at the DCS meeting. I know he has helped all of us so may he Rest In Peace. Our prayers and sympathies go out to all of his family and friends.

I am so shocked to hear of Barry’s passing. He will be truly missed. He was a great guy and definitely the go to guy for anything DCS. Rest In Peace Barry. My prayers and condolences to his family.

Deepest sympathies to Barry's family, may he rest in peace.

Steve

It's sad to hear of Barry's death. He truly was one of the princes of the modern era of our hobby. May he rest in peace and may Light Perpetual shine upon him. 

So sad to hear of Barry's passing, a very nice man who would help if only you would ask.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and especially his wife Cora. 

Dave

a void in the train world !

On Behalf of myself and my family,

Thank you for the support and kind words. My father was an amazing man and loved this hobby and this community very much. I will post more info in a few days but myself, my mother, sister and aunt have been reading the posts and are thankful and appreciative of the outpour of support from the forum. Thank you.

Regards,

Allan Broskowitz

My deepest sympathy to his family and friends. What a nice guy. This is very sad and tragic.

WOW! Sorry I am late in learning about this but what a shocker! My condolences to him and his family. May he have a green light and a high ball all the way to Heaven and beyond! He will surely be missed.

  He was just as helpful and interesting when he wrote outside of the dcs pages here as well; but "Ambassador Broskowitz" couldn't be more fitting.

Prayers for family and friend's .

About three hours ago I was in shock on reading Marty Fitzhenry in another post say Barry had passed. I met Barry every year at York in April and always attended his seminars. My first seminar Barry picked on me pretty hard and afterwards we had a discussion in which I realized just how much he cared. I talked with him frequently like many others, either here, on the phone or by email. I purchased all his books both hard copies and digital copies. There was no other person including inside of MTH that did more to help or promote DCS and the train industry. We say we will miss him and for sure we will but the pain of losing a family member is so strong and hard. Barry was family for sure. Especially to all he helped. Let us never forget a man who had a heart so big and so devoted to US. My condolences to his immediate family and his extended family. The Lord gained a great example of what kindness and passion really is. We have lost a very loved brother for sure. God Bless you Barry and your family. And Thank You for all you did.

Oh no!  Truly in the midst of life we are in death.  Barry shared his gifts generously with this community.  I hope his legacy, including the DCS primer will continue to be developed in the tradition he started.  So sorry to hear this, condolences to his family and friends! 

Wow, what a shock! I've been following Barry for quite a while and saving the really good stuff for later reference. It's a big loss.

This is a shock Berry was the man would answer any of my DCS questions. I have his book and I attended some of the MTH DCS classes he held at York. Condolences to his family, he will be very missed.

I was shocked by Barry's passing. He was brilliant with electronics a real Mavin to his work,  I will miss our talks at York.  Very sad news.

Sad indeed!!!  I would never have made it thru DCS had it not been for Barry.  His willingness to share his knowledge and help on this forum will be missed.

To his family, thanks for sharing him with us.

To those of you that knew Barry only via this forum, you were witnessing only the tip of the iceberg of someone that would truly take the time to do "whatever it took" to be of assistance to a fellow "lover of this great hobby".  

I count myself as blessed that Jim Barrett referred me to Barry as a resource for DCS trouble-shooting, and will be eternally thankful for ALL of the time that Barry spent with me, via more phone calls and for MORE HOURS than I can count.   Barry's desire was that we understood what he knew - the mark of a learned teacher . . .  AND - that because we "figured things out", we could have a magnificent time with our beloved model railroad(s).

To his family, and close friends, I pray that your hearts will be filled with great memories of this incredible human being.   Respectfully, with the deepest of condolences . . . 

Capt. Timothy LeVan

Sorry to hear about the loss of Barry he was a great contributor to are Hobby.  God bless him and our prayers go out to him and his family from our family the Hennings

This loss is beyond words.   Cora and Barry's family will be in my prayers.

I didn't meet Barry in person until after his stroke in the Orange Hall at York, and it always seemed that we were blessed to still have him with us.  I have a LOT of fond memories of the time we spent together at York and here on the forum.  His friendship will be missed.

Years ago, a friend was suffering from ALS, but trying to build a layout with DCS. Barry made himself available by phone when ever help was needed. The year ALS kept my friend from getting to York, and the Wednesday night gathering, Barry called him at home from the gathering so he could be there, too. Always there, helping others is how I'll remember him.

RIP, Barry.

So sorry and shocked to hear about this. My sincere condolences to Cora and his family. There is no doubt that Barry was the "go to DCS guy". A group of us frequently had lunch together the Wednesday of York week, and I got to know Barry on a more personal level. Barry was a really good person and he will be missed.

Gerry

My condolences to Barry's family. He was a great educator of the MTH DCS system and helped me out several times with problems. Barry will be missed on the forum.

Barry has no doubt made a wonderful impact on our hobby and in particular this group.  No words can express how important he was to our community but all one has to do is read through the pages of this thread to see his impact.  Barry has had such a positive impact.

Barry was a friend that I've met through this forum.  As a Legacy guy, who has DCS, I always followed Barry's posts with great interest.  We would often discuss or respective upcoming Users Meetings either via email or when we would run into each other at York.  While I certainly didn't know him as well as some, I do value his friendship and his contributions to our community.

To Barry's family, especially Cora, my sincere condolences.  To Barry's close friends here on the forum, remember that Barry has given us a precious gift of time and knowledge.  His legacy will be all the folks that benefited from his knowledge but more importantly his willingness to share.  I will certainly miss him.

On behalf of myself and the Legacy Users group Godspeed Barry.  Until we meet again my friend.

What a loss. My thoughts and prayers to Barry’s family. He will be missed.

Andy

I'm so sorry to hear about this tragic news.  Barry always helped those who needed it. Thoughts and prayers to his family.

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.

What a terrible way to start the week.  I woke up this morning with a text message, from a dear friend, informing me of this loss.  I immediately thought of Barry's family and prayed to our Heavenly Father for their comfort.  God is good and faithful to provide his tender love during time of sorrow.  God Bless You!

Ironically it was 4 years ago yesterday that I lost my Mother.  I had been her caregiver for 8 years, while she suffered thru Dementia.  My train project was therapy for me during this time.

My first, last and only experience with O Gauge Trains started back in 2009.  I ended up with a 20' x 60' addition for trains only, running up to 11 trains simultaneously on four levels.  I can honestly say that it would not have happened without Barry's support.  I was drawn to the technical side of the hobby, namely DCS.  With 3 Z 4000 's, 3 TIU's and 9 AIU's I turned to Barry on how to design the electrical system for the layout.  For a newbie this was a huge undertaking and Barry was so kind, gentle, most of the time, and understanding of an inexperience user.  I listened to everything the man suggested and looking back now am so glad I did.  While small issues have come up with the passage of time, Barry's design for my layout exceeded all expectations.  He was truly a Master of DCS and a genuine friend.  Living in Florida I even had the opportunity to visit with Barry at his home, near Deltona Florida, and he was a very gracious host.  I attended most of the Wednesday night DCS User's Meeting and was always blown away at Barry's willingness to help anyone with any level of experience.  He will be sorely missed.

Barry, rest in peace.

So sad to learn of Barry's passing. I never had the pleasure of meeting or even speaking with Barry however through posting on the forum he helped me many times with DCS questions. I often wondered how much time daily, weekly, monthly he volunteered to answer questions our train community had with DCS. His knowledge and commitment are irreplaceable. 

I will be praying for him and his family at this time. 

A reminder that life is so fragile. I’m shocked and saddened to hear this. He was such a great contributor to the hobby and a friend to all of us. Condolences and prayers to his wife and family.

George

Sad news - Thoughts and prayers to his family and friends

I never met Barry but it amazed me how he was always willing to help regarding DCS and he always had a good answer no matter the question. His books will continue  to be the DCS bible for years to come.  I'm sure he will be sorely missed by his family and friends. He will be missed here on the Forum.

Ken

Wow. I only met Barry a couple times but his kindness was hard to miss.  He had such a great love for this hobby and the people that enjoy it.  He will certainly be missed by all who knew him.  

My deepest condolences to the Family, and especially to Barry's wife, Cora.  Barry had such a great love for this hobby and He will certainly be missed by all who knew him.

Barry, Rest In Peace My Good Friend.

Michael 'Santa Fe Mike' Sudlow

Freight Train Jim posted:

If you had a DCS question of any kind, Barry took the time to reply with the correct answer. He did it for me numerous times. He will be missed for sure.

Yes, and essentially a conversation until your issue was resolved. His books have helped many of us. Condolences to the family for their loss.  

As somebody that had a massive stroke (blood clot to the brain stem),

What exactly happened to Barry?

One of the posts said something about a earlier stroke?

My father never had a stroke. He had an arythmia issue in York and he had been having other health issues. This is all I will say at this time and would appreciate a lack of speculation and respect our privacy. I will post something later today. Thank you all for the wonderful and kind words.

Regards,

Allan Broskowitz 

Barry may you Rest In Peace , a good soul to all that knew him , my condolences to the family .   To all ,please respect the family wishes. 

While I never knew Barry, I certainly knew of him though all the knowledge he shared on this forum.  It is people like Barry, that make this forum so great.   May you rest in peace.  My condolences to the family.

Great GUY.  May he rest in peace and Thrive in Joy of finding the Light.

Everything that you need to know about DCS is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!"

Words you came to expect when someone new to the hobby or DCS posted on the forum. This was Barry's advice after freely volunteering a solution to one's problems. I don't know if these exact words will continue to live on, but I suspect the knowledgable response so many veterans of DCS passed along as a tip will be with us for a long time...."just buy Barry's book".

His is a name no one familiar with the forum will soon forget. May he rest in peace and prayers for his family and friends. Thank you, Barry.

Allan B. posted:

My father never had a stroke. He had an arythmia issue in York and he had been having other health issues. This is all I will say at this time andwould appreciate a lack of speculation and respect our privacy. I will post something later today. Thank you all for the wonderful and kind words.

Regards,

Allan Broskowitz 

This shouldn't even need to be said. Let's just honor his memory.

Knowing Barry he is not just resting in peace. Barry found peace in helping all of us who love creating a miniature world and getting it to run right. So now he is up there helping God run his big layout, our planet earth. If you think about it, Barry will always be alive with us. He will talk to us every time we pull one of his books off the shelf and read through the pages. Thank you so much to Barry's family for allowing him to devote so much of the day to all of us here on the forum. I am sure we all were also family members to him.

Craig, Your sentiments "Barry's life was an example all of us can follow.  He was unselfish in his willingness to share his knowledge and help others. " truly captured Barry's spirit.  I met Barry in person at York and while he an I were Beta Testing early versions of DCS.  My layout was also a Beta testing platform for TMCC/Legacy so I was on the phone or email with him frequently to discuss issues I was having with two Beta command systems of software releases. He always took the time and was very willing to assist me in isolating an issue.  He was most likely the most influential person in my  appreciation of train command systems. He was a wonderful man and I will miss him greatly and pray for him each time I pick up a DCS controller.

Sorry to hear this.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Jean

Rest In Peace Barry

Jim D.

So sorry to hear of this. He was just posting here a few days ago.

My sympathies to his family and friends.

Sad to hear about Barry. My condolences to his family and friends for their loss.

Sorry to hear - Rest in Peace - Condolences to the Family 

I have not opened this until now because I thought it was one of those misleading topics, maybe something about Barry losing a screwdriver or something.  Wow.  I wish I was right.  Barry seemed pretty active at the last York meet and DCS Users Group meeting, as well as on this forum, so this is really unexpected.  He will be greatly missed. 

 I will never forget the help he provided.

To his family, I am so Sorry for your loss. God bless.

My sincerest condolences to Cora and his family.  

Rest In Peace...

I had the fortunate pleasure meeting Barry by attending his DCH meeting at York last October.  He was indeed the guru on DCS.  His absence is like missing your next breath.  I wish his family and friends our deepest condolences during this period.  An event like this always gives us a greater perspective in life and the task we are charged to do while here for a brief period.  Godspeed to Barry and to his family.  He will be sorely missed.

And a prayer to everyone's health and well being.  

Barry Broskowitz, Alav hashalom ( upon him is peace). You will be missed by the O gauge model railroading community. Thank you for your patience in answering my questions on DCS.  May your life live on in the fond memories of your family and friends. Shalom, chaver (Goodbye, friend).  My condolences to the Broskowitz family, may God bring peace and healing for your loss.

If anyone exemplified the spirit of fraternity of the members of this hobby it was Barry.  Truly an example for all of us.

Mike A

I am sorry to hear this. Condolences to Barry's family.

What a shock. I never met Barry but he and I exchanged emails last year. I introduced myself to him as being new to DCS and a friend of Marty Fitzhenry's, and he wrote right back saying, "Any friend of Marty's is a friend of mine." It isn't often that people say things like that  anymore, so it really made an impact on me as to the kind of guy he was, even though we never met. This is a huge loss for many people, most importantly his family. To Barry's family, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. 

John

I read about Barry's passing late last night on Facebook. It is a terrible shock. My prayers go out to his family and his friends in the O Gauge community.

Feeling very sad right now, more so after reading all of the posts in this thread.  I feel like a giant hole has opened up, one that no one can come close to filling.  There was only one Barry!  He and I joked many times about my "stupid questions" - he could say that to  me cause we joked about them many times.  Always in fun though, never mean.

Wish I had a better grasp of vocabulary to express how sad I am, and a better way to express my sorrow to his family.

- walt

So sorry to hear this .my prayers go out to the family.

rich b

Barry helped me on a number of issues over the years without hesitation.  As others have said, a great loss to our fraternity of hobbyists.  My condolences and prayers to his family.

So sorry for your loss, our prayers to family and friends

Mooner posted:

Everything that you need to know about DCS is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!"

Words you came to expect when someone new to the hobby or DCS posted on the forum. This was Barry's advice after freely volunteering a solution to one's problems. I don't know if these exact words will continue to live on, but I suspect the knowledgable response so many veterans of DCS passed along as a tip will be with us for a long time...."just buy Barry's book".

Very good advice to any/all DCS users or potential DCS users because I can honestly say that this book is Barry's "bible" for the DCS operator. He will long be remembered for this important contribution to our hobby. "Just buy Barry's book" remains very good advice!

Barry's picture has been on my layout for years. He is the second person on the left behind the blue/white hat. He's been a great friend and has helped me a lot with DCS. I am going to miss him here on the forum and at York.

Rest in peace Barry.

Scott Smith

So sorry to hear this new, sincerest thoughts and prayers for his family and friends.

I was able to meet him and converse over the phone with him on several occasions and it was always informative and helpful. 

A new star burns in the heavens today, thank you Barry, for all your help.

Cheryl

Oh my!  This is very sad news.  Barry's loss will be felt by so many of us here.  My thoughts and condolences to his family.

Sincere condolences to the family.

Certainly, a loss to the hobby.  

We all pass this way only once and Barry made a difference.   For one, this hobby will celebrate his countless contributions to others on this forum.  And then there are the books which will continue his legacy for years to come.  God bless Harry and his family. 

I am sorry to hear this, he will be missed by a lot of people.

Wow...what a shocker. I just read this on the OGR FB group. So Sad! Condolences to his wife, family and friends, from my wife and me.

shorling posted:

  God bless Harry and his family. 

Barry occasionally made comments on the misspellings of name from time to time. "Berry" was the most frequent and I may have been guilty of that one a time or two! Don't know if he ever saw "Harry" used... I'm sure he is chuckling about it now in heaven!

Saddened like the rest of the OGR and extended community on the passing of a great ambassador to the Hobby. GodSpeed to you Barry - thank you for all you did to help make the hobby a better place.

Paul

Very saddened to read this.  My condolences to his family.

Gary

I am Very Saddened to hear about Barry.  He always was always friendly and warm when we met up at York to chat.  He will be surely missed by all.  My deepest condolences to his family.  Rest in peace Barry...

I am sorry to hear the news.   Barry did a lot to help out for the DCS users in this hobby.   I will keep his family in my thoughts and prayers.  

Very sad news.  Truly a good friend of the hobby and to those who knew him personally.   God bless.

Very, very sad news. Barry always had the answer to any DCS problem, he will be missed.

Sad, Sad, Sad.  RIP Barry.  I’m hoping you can feel the love this community has for you where ever you are right now.   Probably wiring a layout for The Big Guy in Heaven.   

RIP Barry- a truly productive forum member and great asset for MTH when they first introduced DCS as well as much later with his books. 

I have only met Barry a few times at York, but he was always very nice to speak with and, of course, incredibly knowledgeable. Like many here, I keep his DCS book close at hand. He will truly be missed. My condolences to his family.

-Tom

I had the good fortune of visiting Barry ,s layout in the early days of  DCS.   He also  took me on a tour of his friends ("Arnie)" beautiful post war  layout and also over to Forrest Jerome's  layout along with a number of Hobby shops.    What a day ,..... Thanks Barry.