Nigel A Barnes

Born in London, England on June 6, 1953, he was the cherished son of Charles and June Barnes. He came to the United States as a young man and worked as a bookkeeper for the private firms of Roland Gebhardt Design, NYC, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation and Beverly Willis Architect, as well as the Catholic Churches, St. John the Baptist, Fairview, N.J. and Holy Rosary Church, Edgewater, N.J., before retiring. Nigel was most proud of his work as an Instructor and Counselor for Samaritan Suicide hotline, Manhattan N.Y. where he was one of the longest serving volunteers as well as a member of their Board of Directors.

Nigel is survived by his beloved friend, Rev. John Korbelak. He was considered a member of the Korbelak family and was loved by many.

A life celebration will include visiting on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 from 10am to 12pm at the Leber Funeral Home, 2000 Kennedy Blvd., Union City, N.J. A funeral service will follow at the funeral home and then a comittal service at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.N.J.

Donations may be made to The Samaritans of New York, Box 1259, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159.

Business Office: (212) 673-3661

Remembering my cousin, Nigel

I remember Nigel when he was only perhaps 3 or 4 years old. He was the only kid I knew with little round pink National Health Service glasses— but fortunately they didn't last much past 10! I first stayed at their Croydon home to be a playmate for Nigel while Aunty June and Uncle Leslie were busy with their second adopted child. Sadly, this baby didn't settle and Nigel was destined to be an 'only' from then on.

From the age of 11, he travelled into Southwark every day to the London Nautical School, where the education was geared to merchant navy office entry. Nigel had other ideas, and finally left school at 16 (much to his parents' horror). But it was easy to find a first job in those days, especially on dry land. It was around the time that computers were just starting to appear and Nigel soon found his niche in accounting, eventually working in a London Bank until he was head-hunted for their New York headquarters in 1982.

Aunty June and Uncle Leslie were incredibly proud of their son making good in New York and visited him for holidays there and elsewhere in the US practically every year. Nigel and June had a very close, though at times tumultuous relationship, and his nearby physical presence was much missed by both of them. His tasteful apartments, furnished with refurbished British antiques, and prowess at entertaining became the stuff of legend in our modest family home. I think he had a knack for telling a good story and Aunty June would turn it into a vivacious and hilarious account just for our ears!

In 1984, we visited Nigel in his first New York home. We were right at the end of a year-long sail round the Atlantic with our two small children and by that stage could only afford walking sightseeing. But Nigel gave us a wonderful weekend in Central Park and nearby. In return, I gather we gave him blisters!

A couple of times he returned home at Christmas, relishing playing the generous uncle with a bag full of well-chosen American gifts for the girls. Two voluminous, beautifully-knitted socks still go up either side of the fireplace, 25 years on.

You know the rest, and about the Samaritans. I don't need to say how generous and thoughtful he was in everyday life to his friends and family. Or that he and John were there for my brother's funeral and sitting with June in her wheelchair at Rosemary House. She remembered Nigel almost to the last. He even managed to appear at the bedside for Leslie's final days, a terrible time for all of us.

Nigel's other cousin, Jen and I can't be around to care for John in his time of trouble but we hope that you will all be able to give him a sense of how much he is loved and thanked by all our family, for the happiness he brought Nigel.

Trish Simpson-Davis