Barry Wolkon

Of Brookline, MA, passed away peacefully on October 26, surrounded by his adoring family, just prior to his 87th birthday. Raised in Winthrop, he moved to New York to attend Columbia Law School. In 1960 he met his lifelong love and partner, Janet, and they married six months later. They had an amazing marriage of 62 years, enjoying fun family adventures, travel, and close friendships dating back to grade school and college. They did everything together, including running a family business, and were rarely apart. They were together so much, they only had one car for many years.

Barry was a successful businessman, owning Sport-O-Rama Ice Rinks in New York for the past 48 years. He took tremendous pleasure in running a business for children to grow and thrive, friends to gather, and for a community of hockey and skating families to enjoy having fun together, some returning for three generations at SOR. With an extraordinary analytical mind, he was just as comfortable in a boiler room as a board room, taking things apart in both places. He loved his Red Sox, dissecting and analyzing every statistic imaginable. But mostly he just loved being with his family, regaling his kids and grandkids with stories and advice, always excited to hear about their lives, and helping them forge their own paths.

In addition to his loving wife Janet, he leaves three children, Rob (Janine), Rhonda (Ed) and Shari (John), seven grandchildren, Ben, Michael, Jordan, Danica, Jeremy, Matthew, and Zachary, all of whom “Papa” loved and adored more than anything in the world, his brothers Lennie (Pedy), Ronnie, and sister Linda.

Family funeral services and visitation will be private.

In lieu of flowers, friends are welcome to make a donation in Barry’s honor to the charity of their choice.