Philip F. Barber

He will be dearly missed by his wife Lynda; his children Christopher, of Brookings, SD, Susan, of Westwood, David and his wife Kami, of Puyallup, WA, and Douglas and his wife Iantha, of Redding, CA. Also, his grandchildren Quincy and Emmett; and his sister Jean, of Andalusia, AL.

Phil was a special person who led a life of service. He readily shared his experience, knowledge and wisdom and taught others to do for themselves. He motivated both children and adults alike to do things they thought they could not do, and saw mistakes and failures as opportunities to learn and try again.

Phil was a pillar of Northern New Jersey’s Boy Scout community, known for his ability to capture the attention of scouts young and old with hands-on learning and character-building activities. With a group of parents that he frequently applauded, Phil led Westwood’s Troop 47 into the wilderness on backpacking trips, campouts in the snow, and mosquito-plagued canoe trips. He was the Scoutmaster’s Scoutmaster; he led by example with great humility and generosity. Phil stayed active in Scouting long after his sons had passed through the program. He was always available to assist and encourage new leaders to keep the program alive; his contributions to Scouting are immeasurable.

Phil was known to the youth of Westwood as Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, CCD teacher, altar boy coordinator, and all-around-helper for the Westwood High School band.

As a long-time ham radio operator, Phil, WA2LXE, was a great ambassador and mentor for the Amateur Radio community. He made long-lasting contributions to the Bergen Amateur Radio Association and was always generous with his time and knowledge. He most enjoyed the club’s activities and contests in which everyone, regardless of experience, could participate. Ham radio operators are known for assisting in emergencies, and Phil spent many hours assisting in disaster relief during local floods and hurricanes.

Throughout their marriage of fifty years, Phil and Lynda enjoyed exploring our country’s natural wonders. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the National Park Foundation. www.nationalparks.org

The family will receive friends on Thursday, June 28, from 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, June 29, at 10:30 AM at St. Andrew’s Church in Westwood.

Please take a moment and teach a measurable skill to a young person in honor of Phil.