Like so many others who knew Barry, I was shocked and deeply saddened by his passing last month. He was the kind of person that once known, you could never forget and I still struggle with accepting that I won't see him again.
My friendship with Barry began at Humboldt State University in 1981 where we shared a couple of classes, occasionally discussed the wildlife profession, and ended up competing for a job monitoring Bald Eagles on Catalina Island. Of course Barry got the job which was no surprise to me as even then I knew he was destined to become a leader in our chosen profession. He was then, and continued to be, a person who garnered immediate respect for his deep conviction and passion. I couldn't help but admire his confidence and aspired to be more like him in my professional life.
The next time our paths crossed was in 1993 when I joined the Department of Fish and Game. We renewed our professional association and eventually our friendship and within a co uple of years I found myself working for him in the Wildlife Habitat Relationships program. We worked closely together for 2 years during which I came to see those same qualities I admired in Barry during our college days. I'm sure those who knew him could guess he was a fair but demanding supervisor who accepted nothing short of the best from those around him. His philosophy was "everyone starts with an 'F' and must earn an 'A' ". At the same time he was throwing down this rather large gauntlet, he went out of his way to support and encourage me and others working in the program. I learned a great deal from him under his mentor-ship and he regularly pushed me to take advantage of opportunities and make the most of my professional life.
I will always feel indebted to Barry for going out of his way to encourage and help me in this part of my life.Following this period, Barry and I worked on various projects, professional papers, and initiatives together including our mutual commitment to The Wildlife Society; an organization that he ultimately guided as Western Section President. As he had done many times before, Barry included me in Section activities providing unflagging encouragement that led to Barry and I participating together in several capacities in the organization. We talked several times about the importance of these organizations to our profession and while not always agreeing on philosophical and practical points, I continued to admire his passion and commitment. I didn't realize at the time how important those conversation were and how much I still looked up to him as a leader.
My friendship with Barry continued over the years and I began to see another side of him with which, as a father of two myself, I could readily identify. Although I didn't think it possible, it became evident that his commitment to and passion for his family and children surpassed what I saw in his professional life. It became clear to me that the person I admired over the years for his professional accomplishments was also a great father and family man. Over time our conversations shifted away from our profession to our families and I grew to see Barry's compassion for the people in his life and how he valued and held those relationships above all else. This is the side of Barry that I will always remember as I believe it is what truly defined him as an exceptional person.
I miss Barry a great deal. He left a profound mark on my life and I consider myself very fortunate to have known him. Farewell Barry. You were a great man in many ways.
Kevin Hunting
