Barry Irving Meade

Born on May 17, 1940, the second child of Dick and Sylvia (Rosenberg) Meade, in Oak Park, Il, Barry Irving Meade loved life, his family and his friends from his first breath to his last, taken on January 28, 2019.

Barry grew up in the Miami of the 1940s and 50s, younger brother to big sister Gini, with whom he found his childhood adventures and misadventures. His father, Dick Meade, jockey and jockey valet to the great Eddie Arcaro, travelled the horse circuits from Belmont in Saratoga to the tracks in Sarasota. Dick was a storyteller extraordinaire, and drummer with enough talent and panache to pick up sticks and accompany the likes of Louis Armstrong in late night New York City clubs. His Mother, Sylvia, was a lounge act and cabaret singer, who performed with her sister Phyllis. Sylvia loved both her two children -- and entertaining. With Dick and Sylvia as parents, Barry’s childhood home seemed always to be filed with bustling activity, joy-filled evenings, and merriment. Barry learned early how to be the life of a party, how to make people laugh, and, with the gift of his enthusiasm, how to leave everyone wanting more.

Leaving Miami, Barry attended the University of Florida in Gainesville graduating in 1962 with a degree in accounting -- and with a lifelong cohort of friends in his fraternity brothers, the Pi Lambda Phis. From Gainesville, Barry went to New York and worked for Peat Marwick. There he met and married his first wife Ceil Carino and they had two sons BarryI and Sean. Though they later divorced they remained lifelong friends. In 1975, he took a job in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island in The Bahamas and there he met, fell in love with, and married Debby Taylor. Their marriage was the core of his life for the following 42 years until his death. His fraternity brother, Stanley Newmark, performed Barry and Debby’s wedding ceremony in Miami on April 25, 1976, and he would later marry Barry’s third son in Miami in 2005. After getting married, Barry and Debby settled in Houston, Texas where he formed his own accounting firm and where they raised Michelle, Danielle and Michael. After three decades, Barry retired and he and Debby returned to Florida in 2015.

Barry was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in late 2005 and was treated in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the years following his diagnosis. He would go through three different courses of chemotherapy over the rest of his life. Though the cancer was held at bay, it ravaged his body and suppressed his immune system, such that in the end a common cold became pneumonia and the constant bombardment of infections turned into a battle too strong for him. He waged a good and long war against his disease always putting on a good face and never losing his irascible sense of humor up until the end. In Barry’s last weeks, he was able to visit with his wife, children, grandchildren, sister, niece, and close friends, and to tell each one he loved them. Following a cold rainstorm, a peaceful sunny day filled with blue skies came to pass and so too did Barry, who breathed his last breath surrounded by his wife and two daughters.

Barry’s talent for making friends was learned at home when he was young, a lasting gift of a wonderful friendliness with which he greeted everyone he met -- yes, pretty much everyone he met. He was a true "people person" to the highest degree. Whether at the local grocery store, an outing at the park, or on any street corner, Barry would soon be chatting with any passerby, and you would believe they had been friends for years. His was the warmth of the sun bringing energy, love and kindness to whomever he met, but always and most to his family whom he deeply loved.

Family was the most important thing to Barry and he put family first in all that he did. Yes, he was a lifelong comedian and jokester in his own right, but also, and especially, according to his children, they were his favorite audience. His jokes and humor were not always kosher, but they were always greatly enjoyed by all of his kids who have always been cheerful and willing participants in story after story. Barry’s sense of humor and love of laughter will not die with his passing, as its roots are firmly planted in his children and now his grandchildren. His love and laughter remain.

Barry was predeceased by his mother, Sylvia, his father, Richard and several of his fraternity brothers, including Gary Brooks, Gary Kamen, Sandy Leff, Larry Marks, and Stanley Newmark.

Barry leaves to mourn his wife of 42 years, Deborah J. Meade; his loving children: BarryI Meade (Amy); Sean Meade (Pamela); Michelle Meade Pate (J. Russell); Danielle Garcia; Michael Meade (Adrianna); and grandchildren Taylor, Erin, Ian, Ellaree, Gabriella, Nicholas, Allie and Molly. His loving sister Virginia “Gini” Moore; his niece Jillian Cipa Tatum and great niece Sloan Cipa; his nephew Clifford Tatum III, wife Zuotian and great nephew Lanke, along with his dear brothers at Pi Lamda Phi, and many other friends.

Friends are invited to join Family to share in the reminiscing of Barry I. Meade through grief as well as through love and, of course, laughter. A visitation will be held Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 2:00pm. The funeral service will be held at 3:00pm at Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home, 2323 West Brandon Blvd, Brandon, FL 33511. A Reception will follow on site.

Contributions in Barry I. Meade’s name may be made in memorium to Dr. Michael Keating’s foundation Global CLL Research Foundation at cllglobal.org/donate, follow links to “give online.”

Donations can be made in his honor either by mail or online.

This is the shortened link for online donations: https://bit.ly/2UMPq0i

Donations can also be mailed to:

CLL Global Research Foundation

c/o Dr. Michael Keating

P.O. Box 301402, Unit 428

Houston, Texas 77230-1402