John Barry Mittan

Barry Mittan, 63, died January 23, 2013 in Tallahassee.

He was born in Hummelstown, PA, and moved around the world with his family while his father was in the military. When his family settled in Orlando, Barry came to Tallahassee to attend FSU.

While at FSU he pursued his avocation of sports photography, covering all major FSU sports during the 60's, 70's, and 80's. He was also a proud member of the FSU Flying High Circus, performing on the slack wire and juggling. He became the unofficial photographer of the circus and provided much of the photo archives that document its history. He completed his masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning and went on to a 30-year career with the Florida Department of Health.

Following his retirement from the state, he pursued one of his passions as a photojournalist for international figure skating. He traveled the globe covering skating events. He received numerous awards for his work, including the Professional Skaters Association Edi Scholden Award for Best Figure Skating Photograph of the Year in 1996 and 1998. Barry's second passion was his gardens. He turned 8 ½ acres of cow pasture into a lush Garden of Eden. The fruits of his labors will be enjoyed for many years to come. Barry and Jayne shared many travel adventures around the world, including England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Italy, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaiil

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Jayne; his brother, Gary in Orlando; his sisters, Marla(Brian) in Oregon and Beverlei (Sal) in Arizona.

Per his request, no services are planned. The family will receive friends on Saturday, January 26th from 2 until 5 pm at the couple's home at 11398 Buck Lake Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leon County Humane Society, the local chapter of the American Red Cross, or the Florida Wildlife Federation in his memory.