Gone Too soon 9-20-09
I was Bruce's personal trainer for 3 yrs & his personal friend for the past 5. I am heartbroken as I write & words could never convey the grief that has stricken my sad bewildered eyes w/tears. Bruce was a true lover of Life. His 1st Love was his family(OH how he sooo adored his precious joy filled, beautiful lil girl Chloe). His other loves included the Gators, flying, skiing, traveling, basically enjoying everything that life has to offer. He was brilliantly intellectual, hilarious, sentimental, generous, & extremely confident in his abilities to be responsible for others. Whether it was business related or a personal situation, Bruce always had the person's best interests as his primary concern. Bruce hired me to get him in shape after having both knees replaced. He hated to work out (lol) but his love of skiing, not to mention also having to keep up w/his stunning & smart wife Karen, His protégé son Payton & his lil princess Chloe, he endured our workouts like a champ. @ the peak of our training Bruce was jumping out of helicopters @ altitudes of over 26,000 ft & skiing like a 16yr old. The exuberance & zest for life that Bruce Barber experienced was infectious. I always felt respected & appreciated for my skills as a trainer & I was proud of Bruce for accomplishing his goals w/me. He never missed an appointment & I was always filled in on the many adventures of the Barber family. I even flew w/Bruce & Payton to my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina when the Gators played the Gamecocks in 07 so I could spend time w/my family. The Barber’s could be counted on, they made themselves available & you always enjoyed their company. Whether one on one, or as a couple, Bruce & Karen were both dynamic people. Their conversations were engaging & never short on wit. You could always be yourself w/the whole family. They embraced differences & united friends & family w/their warmth. I could write forever about all of the qualities of this truly special family, bottom line they made me a better person by believing in me. This is a loss for the entire world as far as I am concerned. My only saving grace is that they are in an even greater Kingdom above & I will be reunited w/them in Heaven. The miracle here is that Chloe is here to carry on the Barber legacy & she will go on to marry & have children. She is a spitting image of her father Bruce & she will be a loving mother on earth one day just like her beautiful mother Karen. Hopefully she will remember how much she was loved by her dad, mom & big brother. May the love that the Barbers exemplified by their way of life, be an inspiration to us left behind. They were quintessential angels on Earth & I am blessed to have called them my friends. My prayers are w/all of those who love them & who are trying to process this painful loss.
Sincerely,
Amanda Dodd
Ps... I am comforted knowing they had a great weekend together doing what they loved most. Cheering for their wining team the Gator's, Flying, being together w/friends, & being in the moment. My heart is w/Chloe & I know she will be raised as Bruce & Karen would wish
The End
>:’-(
