November 4, 1937 ~ March 29, 2004
Leonard, Barry Reed a 28 year resident of Hermosa Beach passed away on Monday, March 29, 2004 in Los Angeles. Born in Massachusetts, Barry was 66. He had served in the Air Force and had worked for Air New Zealand for over 5 years. Barry is survived by his brother, Bruce Leonard of Leesburg, VA and several cousins. Memorial Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday, April 14, at 10:00 AM at St. James Catholic Church, 415 Vincent Street in Redondo Beach. Burial will be private at Riverside National Cemetery.
Barry was a steadfast member of our Dean for America group, always ready to attend a meeting and help out at an event. Despite the rollercoaster of the political campaign, he always kept his sense of humor and passed along his now famous political cartoon blog, just to brighten everyone\’s day. I hadn\’t recognized how ill Barry was given his perserverance. I remember Barry, Kathleen and I hanging on for dear life at the intersection of Aviation and Manhattan Beach Blvds., holding signs for Howard Dean in the midst of what we thought was a small tsunami of wind. Barry, completely undaunted, took the corner where the wind served him best and plastered the sign against his body like armor. He was unrelenting and never a peep about being tired either. I\’ll miss his quiet, yet resolute personality.
Barry and I worked together at Air New Zealand in different departments. We would run into each other from time to time and Barry was always cheerful, and ready to share what whas going on in his life. We had many fun conversations about his trips and his adventurous sightseeing like bungy jumping. When Barry would come by the office to walk with a friend, he would always stop and chat. After Barry became ill last December, we would talk about his illness and how he was going to fight it. There was only 1 time that I saw Barry really worried about his condition. After we talked a bit, he seemed to get his optimistic self back. I will miss Barry\’s humor, his political updates and his friendship. He will always remain in our hearts and memories.
I , too, was saddened to hear about Barry\’s passing. I first met Barry when he attended a Bush Whacking party at my house last year. >From that time on I regarded him as a friend as well as a devout fellow Deanite. Whenever our group needed help in tabling, waving signs about, calling, or posting notices, Barry always volunteered. And whenever we had a meeting or a house party, Barry was there. In spite of his grave illness, he maintained his sense of humor and positive attitude. I looked forward to his wonderful cartoons and the wry comments that accompanied them. I will miss him very much. His spirit remains with all of us. Roberta
Rest in peace my friend.