Herbert “John” Barry III: 1951-2009
By Denise Penn
John Barry lll of Long Beach passed away Dec, 9, 2009. He was 58.
As a charter member of Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club, John Barry sewed the first Lambda banner that was carried in the Long Beach Gay Pride Parade nearly three decades ago. He was a courageous crusader for equal rights at a time when risks were high and it was not as easy as it is today. John volunteered anywhere and everywhere for gay and lesbian causes. When the Boy Scouts won their case to deny gays the right to serve as troop leaders, John quietly mailed back his Eagle Scout pin, with a letter.
John was born in Cascade, Idaho on Feb 27th, 1951 to Herbert John Barry II and Irene (Mickey) Fall Barry. He grew up in Hanford, California, a rural and conservative area. He was a member of the 4H club, a champion swimmer, and an Eagle Scout. After college in San Luis Obispo, he moved to Long Beach, where he met his long time partner, Norman Louscher while working as a waiter at the Reef. Sadly, he eventually sewed a panel for his partner, Norm, for the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Most recently, he was in Property Management, and attending Law School. John loved to golf and travel abroad and had visited Japan, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Egypt.
John has been on the Board of Directors of the Long Beach Gay & Lesbian Center, and has served as Chair. Inspired to help provide badly needed services for people affected by HIV/AIDS, he was one of the Founding members of the Board of Directors of the Long Beach AIDS Foundation and was a member until his death. He served as the Chair of the AIDS Foundation Golf Tournament, an event to raise money for the Foundation. He has been one of the valuable volunteers who sits up until 2 a.m. putting together table decorations or laminated advertisements for sponsors in a the golf tournament. In October, 2009, he was honored by Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club at their Human Rights Banquet.
John is survived by his parents Herb and Irene (Mickey) Barry of Hanford, brother Stan (Janice) Barry, nephews Ben (Carrie ) Rico, Bryce and Caleb Rico, Justin and Jordan Barry all of Lemoore, and his sister Gina (Ron) Dias, nieces Brynne Altamirano, and Shea Dias and nephew Ty Dias all of Hanford.
John touched many lives, and will be greatly missed by those who knew him. Remembrances may be made to Serra Project 638 E. Sunrise, Long Beach, CA. 90806.
Remembering Heather Hamm
Heather Hamm, 69, died December 16, 2009. She was the founder of the still thriving “40-Plus Group” at the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Center in 1988, and along with her partner, Pat Lamis, was known for hosting many women’s events, including the “Women’s Brunch Bunch.” She was born in Indiana; the daughter of Victor and Nona Hauprich. Her father enjoyed a long career as a musician in the big band era working with Woody Herman, Isham Jones, and many others. Her mother was a talented writer and professional photographer. Heather grew up in diverse metropolitan settings, studied ballet and was an avid lover of the arts. She graduated from CSULB with a BA in Fine Arts. A celebration of her life was held in December. She leaves behind her life partner of 21 years, Pat Lamas; her daughter, Erin; and brother, Wick