A Tribute To Leon

Great Men, the ones that are few and far between. The ones that inspire you to greatness. The ones you want to emulate. How can I best honor them when they are gone?

I have had the pleasure of honoring great men in my past with a song, which I did for this man. It is one of the gifts that God has given me. I have also used this blog to honor men and women whom I admire. 

As I am flying across the United States to San Antonio, Texas I am sitting in a window seat looking out at the towering white cumulonimbus clouds which are reaching up to touch the jet. It reminds me of how I envision the Kingdom of Heaven, which isn’t that far away. I remember my friend, Leon. 

Leon Kenneth Barry was born on January 11th, 1956 in the projects of Oakland, California. He was number 4 of five kids. The projects were a tough area to grow up in as a child and Leon learned early on to defend himself and his sisters. He was not one to back down from a bully.

Leon met his wife Vickie as a 14 year old teenager in California. They were inseparable and fell passionately in love with each other. He married her at the age of 22. 

As a child, Leon dreamed of overcoming the poverty of the projects by moving to the Last Great Frontier, Alaska. To accomplish this dream, Leon worked oil rigs in the desert and Vickie worked as a housekeeper and hotel manager to put Leon through his Mechanical Engineering degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Within two years of graduation, the newlyweds and their newborn daughter, Barbie, were in Alaska. The California kids had to adjust quickly to the frigid cold. It was there that Leon perfected his skills as a hunter and salmon fisherman. For the next 18 years, Leon literally engineered pipelines, peninsulas, and even an island for oil drilling. Their son John was born in Alaska and lived there until age eight when the family moved to Washington state and the city of Bellingham.

For the next 17.5 years he worked as a refinery engineer, designing and patenting many ideas for the refining units of the plant, and shipping pier.

While living in Bellingham, Leon and Vickie raised their children in the church. Leon became a leader and teacher. He also honed his skill as a drummer, keeping a kit set up in his garage. He played mainly for his church and for local bands. Leon and Vickie spent years in ministry, watched both their children get married, and celebrated Leon’s patents and widespread usage of safe practices for refining.

In 2013, Leon and Vickie moved to Texas, where Leon spent his final years. Leon worked as a Director for Acquisitions in the energy sector, consulting across the United States and Mexico. Leon selflessly cared for his teammates, their families, and even their souls. He did this by believing in the power of “integrity” and “reliability,” two words used in his last job title.

And how did I meet Leon?

The year was 2002 on New Years Eve at the Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham. Some friends of mine were producing a city-wide talent show. I had written a song for the show titled, Lest I Forget, which honored the men and women of the county who served in all branches of the Armed Forces. A PowerPoint presentation was created using photos of these citizens dressed in uniform. I had a full band backing me, the guitarists were each holding instruments painted with the American Flag.

At a certain point in the song the lyrics ended, and a three-minute instrumental began. It was at that time the PowerPoint presentation would start. But alas, the projector had gone into sleep mode and the display of veterans didn’t happen. We finished the song and many of the band members left the theater for other New Years parties.

Distraught that I had put so many hours into the presentation and it failed, the show’s producer insisted that I repeat it at the end of the show so the crowd could see it. I hurriedly tried to find the band members who were left in the building but some were gone including the drummer.

The show ended and the MC announced the repeat of my song and asked that no one leave the theater.

I looked across the stage at what was left of the band and the empty drum kit. The curtain was about to rise. From out of the wings walked a man I had never met before. He sat down at the drum kit, looked at me and smiled. “I’ve got it,” he mouthed, and he played magnificently all the way to the end. 

“Who are you?” I asked after the show. “That was great!”

“Leon Barry,” he answered, shaking my hand. “I heard that you were in a bind. I was in the audience watching my son’s band.”

Leon Barry saved the day. Leon Barry, the father of the boy John, who would shortly thereafter meet, date, and marry my daughter Kalene.

Leon retired not long ago and trained to become certified as a rescue diver . He loved the ocean and traveled with his daughter Barbie and son-in-law Phil to many exotic Caribbean dive locations. 

With Vickie, he loved to cruise and tour Ireland, his ancestral home.

But Leon died on May 8th, 2023, at the age of 67. Too soon.

The jet is about to land in San Antonio. We are going to descend through the white clouds. It is dreamlike. I picture Leon with his smile, drumsticks in hand.

He mouths to me, “See you in the Kingdom, Marty. I’ve got this.”

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