William Patrick Barum, 73, passed away peacefully at home on July 28, 2021, in Dallas, Texas, after a hard fought battle with cancer. Bill was born on March 17, 1948, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Margaret Mary Streily Barum and William Washington Barum and had three younger sisters, Pat, Suellen, and Carolann.
Bill attended the University of Cincinnati and in 1968 enlisted as a submariner and diver in the United States Navy. After his service, Bill attended the Culinary Institute of America and apprenticed in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu. Chef Bill began his culinary career flipping burgers at sixteen, cooking on nuclear submarines and Amtrak trains, owning his own catering company, Pour Vous, in Cincinnati, and then working with Hilton Hotels in Cincinnati, Jakarta, Indonesia, Oklahoma City, Chicago and Pittsburgh. While working for Hilton, he married Deborah Lynn Bryant on May 30, 1983, in Jakarta, and unexpectedly found himself the father of a 7 year-old and newborn a year later. His three girls (Debbie, Suzi and Allison) became the focus of his life until his grandchildren came along decades later.
Bill’s career took an amazing turn in 1989 when he became Chef of State for King Hussein I in Amman, Jordan. After returning to the States, he became the Executive Chef at Disney World’s Grand Floridian and Empress Lily hotels, much to the delight of his daughters. He then went into research and development at Kraft Foods in Chicago and Memphis, after which he was Director of Culinary Operations for Harrah’s Casinos and Caesar’s Entertainment in Las Vegas. The culmination of Chef Bill’s career was at the Cleveland Clinic where, as the Senior Director of Hospitality, he built upon his passion for nutrition and guest service, using his international experience and cultural awareness to attend to the needs of patients from around the world. Debbie considered partnership in a moving company as she traveled three continents, eight states, and ten cities, and his girls had the advantage of growing up with cultural awareness and, depending on which one you ask, their many moves made them either very adaptable to change or reluctant to it.
Bill was a thrill seeker, motorcycle rider and car racer, outdoorsman, fisherman, cyclist, weightlifter, diver, kayaker, archer, gearhead, collector, dog lover, people person, documentary enthusiast and, above all else, a family man. If he met you, you were his “friend” forever. Charismatic, gregarious, and mentoring, “Billy Bearhug” collected and kept friends as he moved from place to place, and he never forgot the connections he made along the way. After his retirement, he funneled his energy into becoming an all-star grandparent. He wasn't just at every game or event, he was there because he wouldn't have chosen to be anywhere else. He’d walk up with his hat, his chair, and his dog, and everyone knew him. Morning babysitting wasn't a chore, it was his anticipated pleasure.
Bill is preceded in death by his father and mother. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Debbie (Bryant) Barum, his daughters Suzi Neely (Sawyer) and Allison Domlovil (Trevor), and his five grandchildren, Wesley, Colin, Willa, Millie, and Clark William. He is also survived by his sisters Pat Artman, Suellen Weller (David Weller and nephews Nathan and Keith), and Carolann Barum (Mike Ashwell and niece Kendra and nephew Bill).
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to:
Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support: genesisshelter.org
East Lake Pet Orphanage: https://www.eastlakepetorphanage.com/donate
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Barum family.
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