Words cannot express how sorry I am to report that Barry passed away last night after a very long illness. He had been in great pain for years, but never complained. We all knew this was coming, but when it does, it hits you like a freight train.
I was proud to call Barry my closest friend, and we shot benchrest together for 40 years. We travelled together to all the benchrest matches around Australia as well as internationally to places like New Zealand, Italy and South Africa. During that time, we spoke on the phone almost daily, discussing all things benchrest.
As well as being a very strong competitor, he was a tinkerer and innovator. He did his own gunsmithing, fitted and painted stocks and was always trying something different to raise his level of accuracy at the bench.
Barry was a giver, and if you were his friend, there was nothing he would not do for you.
Bullet making was something that Barry excelled at, he tried everything to make a better mousetrap. Anyone that saw his workbench would have been amazed at the level of sophistication and skill.
Barry was a very happy lad when he was appointed range manager at Silverdale, and the range never ran better, or was in better shape when Barry ran it like he owned it.
A few years ago Barry and Gayle moved to Nambucca Heads when she retired, they were extremely happy there, and Barry was under first class medical care. He loved going to the Coffs Harbour range at Dairyville to shoot, and when he was not able, just to catch up with friends.
When Gayle passed away last year, Barry's health did take a downturn, and he sold the Nambucca house and all his rifles and equipment and moved back to Sydney, to his former hometown Penrith. He had been in fulltime care at The Royce. I did a return road trip to Coffs in January with Barry so he could say goodbye to his friends there. I was with him last week, and was scheduled to see him today.
I will forever miss his friendship, companionship and down to earth humour.
Barry is survived by his son Shannan, I will post funeral details when I can.
Rest in peace mate.
