Reading all the tributes shared by family and friends to My/Our Brother Barry makes my heart melt with the outpouring of Love and Admiration. He was a wonderful, thoughtful and caring man, with a big heart and an uncanny ability to make us laugh.
I was blessed with a close bond and many memories starting from our young former years as if “joined at the hip”. We played all day and our antics got us into big trouble. We
climbed anything that was in sight, and we often took the long walk up Stoney Stanton Road to Auntie Freda’s, the family gathering spot for our other Aunts and Uncles where we enjoyed tea, sandwiches, trifles and playtime with our cousins.
Barry and I each had a go-cart made with old scraps by our Dad and we raced around a weed infested wasteland a few doors from our home where we revelled in our own little world. We fished at Swanswell Park, with a jar to collect tiddlers, rods made of sticks and Mum’s cut up stockings as our net, keeping us busy for hours. So it’s not surprising that fishing became one of Barry’s lifelong joys travelling the UK for fishing competitions to catch the big one.
Later as young adults, work, marriage, and life events sent us in different directions, but our visits with our own family in tow were always a joy, and ending up with tears of laughter. We kept the long distance phone lines busy over the many years right up until Barry was no longer able to pick up the phone.
Barry was a gentle giant, generous of heart, caring deeply about his family and friends. That was ever present with his love and joy of his two daughters Nicola and Gemma, and grandchildren with “their/his secret stash”. His commitment was unwavering to us, his siblings, taking on the role of Patriarch of the family, keeping us well informed of our sister Dorne’s well-being up until she passed. He had such a depth of character.
God Bless Dear Brother, I love you, will miss you dearly, forever in my heart, with cherished memories.
Carollyne
Carollyne Beenham
07/04/2025
