Barry Segal
Barry Segal, 80, passed away peacefully in St. Louis, Missouri on May 13, 2014 from lung and brain cancer. At his request, no service was performed.
Barry was a gifted business man and a prolific writer and entertainer. He was the third generation in the manufacturing end of the garment industry and remained in that capacity for most of his working life. He wrote and performed several musical comedies for the Children’s Wear Guild in Miami Beach with the proceeds going to charities.
Through the years he wrote various stories and in his retirement had two children’s books published called “Grandpa Fables” and “More Grandpa Fables”. Each story is about an animal with a moral at the end of the story.
Barry was a principled, kind, and wise man with a positive spirit who was never at a loss for words or a funny story.
He is survived by his wife, Christie, of 35 years; three sons, Matthew, Michael and Keeva, a daughter Janet and a brother Till. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Rosalie and Joe Segal, his brother Robert and Barry’s second daughter Amy.
Love and respect to my father. You are sorely missed in a time where your kind words of advice are needed more than ever. Love you Dad.
Christie, you and your family are in my heart and thoughts. I miss your Dear Barry and his dry wit, knowledge and kindness he shared. I am sorry I could not be there to say good-bye. and be with you Christie. I miss donuts and coffee and the time he always graciously gave me. He was my “go too” guy for Old Testament questions and thoughts on life. I love you both. Lorraine
I will miss Barry in so many ways–his jokes, his comments, his knowledge, his kindness and his “gift of gab”. He was a wonderful person who was so fortunate to have you, Christie, as his partner in life. I’m sure he will rest in peace.
Barry was my big brother, and although we were 5 years apart, somehow we were not in the same place at the same time growing up. I’m sure he was a good big brother, and always made me feel very special. Like when we would have boxing matches at home (while parents were out). We only had 3 gloves, and because I was so special I got one glove, and he had the burden of wearing 2. the rules of the house being, you were only aloud to hit the other one with a gloved hand Of course he was a natural salesman and made believe that was a good thing.
We really got to know each other and become close when we were in business together, and that was for 17 years. We had some great times working together, and of course shared some tense moments. One of Barry’s greatest attributes was his ability to laugh in the face of adversity. I remember roaring with laughter in some of our darkest times. Somehow that helped get us through. Even last week when I spoke to him he couldn’t resist throwing in a one liner, I was astounded, but that was a special quality he had. He had a great temperament, I don’t remember seeing him angry, even when he knew his days were numbered.
He was a good big brother, and assumed the roll of keeping the family communicating. He initiated many of the phone calls to me. He drove to Memphis to visit our ailing brother Rob on a regular basis. I had so much respect for that. He made it a point to come to California to see our mother with you Christie. My mother loved you, and it was a special treat for her. Barry always made the effort to be the big brother. I am sad that I will no longer pick up the phone and hear his special hello (it sounded almost like a question). I will miss knowing that he walks on this earth. However he will be immortal to me, as he will be in my mind until I am no longer here. I was lucky to have you as my big brother Barry Steven Segal. Rest in peace, hopefully I will see you on the other side some day. I love you.
Your brother,
Till
Thank you for sharing your lives with us. We all love you.
Christie, Though there was only a short window of time where our paths crossed, I have enjoyable memories of our time spent together and the interesting discussions we had. Barry was a special person and he will be missed.
A FEW SAYINGS THAT remind me of Barry..
.Make everything holy
Tell a good story
Spit out your hurt
Make an everything sandwich
Have tea together
Pay attention to endings
Be grateful
Insist on happiness….
Your spirit lives on…
Of all the great things made at the bagel store, our friendship with Barry may have been the greatest. He was a truly good person and you don’t come across many of those in a lifetime. Your wit, wisdom and kindness can’t be replaced. I’ll miss you, Barry.
Barry: I will miss your stories. They were fun and inspirational. I can’t look at some of our animals without thinking of your stories. Christie – you and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. You both made days a Wildlife a little brighter!
Love, Jane
Dear Christie, I am so sorry for your loss. It was a privilege to know and work with Barry at WRC.
I loved spending time with you. You were a good man and a great friend. I will miss you. I love you Barry.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF BARRY SEGAL
The intergenerational connection has a long vibrant history in Service Learning-younger people and older people naturally fit together. The Grandfriend partnership evokes caring and provides relational exchanges that matter. Barry shared his love of family, nature, and animals with students through his “Grandpa Fables.” Barry made good connections for the children, as it tied into each story and provided wonderful learning mementos. This created a special bond and provided meaningful relationships between Barry and the children. Many parents report, their children still have their feathers, stones and other mementos in their treasure boxes.
The word “treasure” is a great way to describe Barry. His influence on the students and myself was a remarkable gift. He truly impacted our lives with his kindness, wisdom and gentle guidance. He grew the good inside of us and taught us how to be even better. When you are living the best version of yourself, you inspire others to live the best version of themselves.
“The human contribution is the essential ingredient. It is only in the giving of ourselves to others that we truly live”
~Ethel Percy Andrus, American Association of Retired Persons.
With Love, Leslei