Jean Ellen Court has lost a resident. Gilroy Boy Scout Troop 711
has lost a leader. IBM has lost a talented engineer. And Estella
and Brendan Barkley have lost a husband and a father.
Jean Ellen Court has lost a resident. Gilroy Boy Scout Troop 711 has lost a leader. IBM has lost a talented engineer. And Estella and Brendan Barkley have lost a husband and a father. My son grew up celebrating Brendan’s birthday on the Barkley ranch on Jean Ellen Court in Gilroy with ponies and toy pistols, cowboy hats and petting zoos. Now Brendan Barkley is a sophomore at Valley Christian High School, an active member of the band and a Life Scout in Troop 711. His dad, Jeff Barkley, died March 30, 2007, after a struggle with cancer.
On Thursday, April 5, at the San Jose Christian Reformed Church friends, Gilroy neighbors, colleagues and a large contingent of Boy Scouts gathered to say farewell to Jeff Barkley.
Heads were nodding in agreement when Jeff’s former college roommate, Gino Bottino, described Jeff’s constant questions that kept Gino awake into the night during their college years. A fellow church member, Jeff Landis, pointed out that “the man who had so many questions is finally with the one who has all the answers.”
Tobi Brown of Boy Scout Troop 711 remembered the time she talked the Barkleys into Tiger Cubs and watched as Jeff steadily grew with the organization, finally holding the position of rank advancement chairman. Brown recalled the 12 Scout Laws for the mourners and stated Barkley was the epitome of all 12 characterizations. Dubbed Chief Crazy Pipe at camp for his prowess at fixing the sinks at Boy Scout Camp High Sierra, Barkley was the man for every job and if he was unsure of how to tackle it, he would ask enough questions to finally master the task. Jeff Barkley of Gilroy, set the example for selfless tenacity and I know Brendan will soar just as high as he reaches for the rank of Eagle in Troop 711. Ciao for now, Jeff, until we meet again.
Meeting for the first time at one of the world’s seven natural wonders, my family and I came upon a young field biologist at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon during our vacation last week. With a dog named Buster on a leash tethered around his waist and a small antenna in one hand pointing toward the depths of the canyon, the man wore a khaki-colored vest that read “Peregrine Fund” on the back and “California Condor Project” on the front. Eager to pepper the young man with questions about the condors and report our own sighting of a giant bird on our fence last summer, we soon started to hone in on his background.
“Well, I grew up in a small town south of San Jose, California called Morgan Hill,” the young man explained. My family burst out laughing at the thought of meeting a local guy so far from home.
“We’re from Morgan Hill!” we all shouted. “What’s your name?” we queried.
“Rob Gay. I went to school at St. Catherine’s and graduated from Bellermine in 1999. My parents are Steve and Lynn Gay.” We then continued to play Morgan Hill Bingo, trading familiar names and places. Rob graduated from North Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in paleobiology/geology and the Grand Canyon just happens to have been an ancient territory of the condor when it feasted on mastedons. Rob now works for the Peregrine Fund and lives in Page, Arizona and wishes to send greetings to his friends Jim Apland and his daughter, Andrea, of Morgan Hill. South County is raising its young and sending them out of the nest to make their mark on the world. I know the Grand Canyon condors have Rob to thank for his dedication to their preservation. What a small, small world.
Hagoone’! (Goodbye in Navajo.)
