Barry Dobb

Barry Dobb

1947-2016

Barry Dobb, entrepreneur and sales and marketing professional, was born Nov. 12, 1947 in Alston Road, Solihull, West Midlands, England to Winnifred Fripp and Ronald Dobb. He died Dec. 7, 2016 in Wheat Ridge, CO at Collier Hospice Center.

Growing up happily in Alston Road with his brother, parents and grandparents, he thrived on family ties with a bit of caring for infirm maternal Grandfather and Grandmother. His childhood home was at the bottom of the Lawrence family garden, who became lifelong friends and extended family. In his youth, Barry enjoyed traveling with his brother, Andrew, to northwest England for summer holidays with his paternal grandmother and aunt in Southport. His grandmother Dobb hosted a bed and breakfast and a fish and chips shop, which may have sparked Barry's later passion for cooking and hosting. Barry recalled that the family's Alston Road home had a magnificent garden, well-tended by his father, which served as training ground for Barry and Andrew - not only in gardening, but in exacting care and devoted work ethic.

Barry attended St. Augustine's Junior School and Archbishop Ilsley's Secondary School as a youth. In college, he earned advanced degrees, many of which were completed during an 18-month hospital stay, recovering a motorcycle accident.

Barry's first jobs included delivering groceries on his bicycle before and after school. He advanced into retail with Rackham's department stores, and discovered a love of electronics. In his late teens he met "his best mate ever," Trevor Pearson, who just happened to be dating his oldest friend from Alston Road, Lally Lawrence. The three enjoyed many exploits throughout the rest of his life. Barry's entrepreneurship budded when he joined his father-in-law's business producing candy apples. He mused that a chocolate covered apple was his finest creation. The business grew and produced several life-long friends, in addition to the candy apples. He was blessed with two beautiful daughters, Katy and Rebecca, whom he loved beyond words. During their early years, he was able to build a custom home for the family, which included boarding kennels for additional income.

In the early 80s, a break-up with his first wife caused much pain, and perhaps as rebound, he embarked on the challenge of relocating the candy apple business to America. In California he opened the Happy Apple factory. After a fairly successful start-up year, a fire burned the factory. With so little time in business, insurance did not provide much coverage, so he turned his life in new direction, embarking on a career in sales, first wine, then video games and t-shirts. He eventually accepted a position with Brown & Bigelow, advertising calendar company, where he made many life-long friends and found his calling to sales management. His training under Tom Shabel led to an incredible brother-like bond that he enjoyed throughout the rest of his life. Barry excelled in the promotional advertising Industry, building successful sales forces for two of the leading industry distributors - Brown & Bigelow, and later Geiger Bros.

Barry was widely known in the industry for extravagant and extraordinarily successful sales programs. Sales incentive weekends that he planned for his sales force provided an outlet for his love of entertaining and hosting fabulous parties, foreshadowing catering and entertaining businesses yet to come. Most importantly in the eyes of many, his care for, and nurturing of sales people, brought great joy to him and to the sales forces he commanded, creating some fabulous friendships across the country, that are still held dear today.

In 1992 Barry met a true soul mate, and the love of his life, Mary (Pughes) Kilburn, while acquiring her sales force to merge with his regional group at Geiger Brothers West. The couple worked together with Geiger for two years, Barry in California and Mary in Denver. Barry then joined Mary in a partnership to travel the western United States, representing Promotional Manufacturers to hundreds of distributor companies. They traveled 14-plus western states for two years, and with a friend, Natalie Chase formed "The Marketeers" traveling road show. Lessons they learned in those years helped develop a consulting side business that took them to California for two years and then to Colorado. They helped both distributor and supplier companies grow their businesses or enter the promotional advertising market. He and Mary married in March of 1996.

The ensuing years brought more travel and a trade show division to help companies enter new markets in the print, incentives, travel, apparel, award and recognition and meeting planning arenas. Handling up to 20 shows per year kept the couple moving - and provided a training ground for many youngsters in Mary's family, who worked the road shows with Barry and Mary. Always a trainer, Barry was in his element helping the youngsters learn new skills, travel the country and provide great adventures they all remember. Barry and Mary added the education and speaking aspects to their business. They gained clients around the world and were able to travel to many interesting locales to work with them.

The last few years saw a change in the marketplace, that prompted changes to the business. Barry returned to his production roots, manufacturing and assembling promotional marketing items for the distributor supply chain, which he named Z Marketing Group. Settled in Colorado, and firmly ensconced into his new family, Barry encouraged and helped host many family parties, developing his skills, and offering them through a small catering business for friends and family - Z'vents. Barry truly enjoyed planning, cooking for and hosting parties. After the death of Mary's parents, and with the help of her sister Angie, Barry and Mary moved into the family home, and embarked on a new challenge of remodeling the home. With help from other family members, and under contractor cousin Jerry, Barry learned new skills in building, something he took well to, and enjoyed heartily.

Over the years Barry and Mary were able to travel to England so he could see his beloved brother and daughters and meet his 4 granddaughters - which gave him great pleasure. He also hosted his brother on many trips to America, bringing fantastic holidays and treasured memories. In 2013, Barry was diagnosed with heart problems and underwent open-heart bypass surgery. He was able to gain some strength back in the ensuing years, but then suffered a loss of vision and the ability to drive in 2015.

2016 brought a cancer diagnosis for Mary, and Barry stepped up as care giver supreme. Then in mid-June, suffering stomach and vascular issues himself, he learned his brother had a life-threatening illness. Barry was able to travel back to England to be with and assist Andrew. He stayed for three weeks, but had to return to the states for his and Mary's health. Stomach problems became much more severe, along with other growing health problems.

Sadly, Andrew died Sept. 19, a real blow to Barry who by then, had just been diagnosed with liver cancer. Further tests were inconclusive, and after exploratory surgery, Barry was diagnosed with colon cancer. The exploratory surgery brought on a new symptom, constant vomiting. Learning that liver AND colon cancer were not commonly found together, Barry sought further testing. The growing drain of the vomiting was enough strain on him to keep hospitalized for most of October and November, and he was ultimately diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Coming home for his birthday, Barry was able to spend two weeks with Mary. During this time he was able to slow the vomiting, only to be struck with heart and diabetes problems. He returned to hospital on Nov. 29 only to have some medication conflicts, so on Dec. 2 he decided to enter the Collier Hospice Center the next day, where he received loving care until he passed on Dec. 7.

Barry is survived by his wife, daughters Katy Lawrence and Rebecca Cushing, Rebecca's husband Andrew, Katy's daughters, Alex and Anna, and Rebecca's daughters Elise and Caitlin, as well as many friends and admirers.

A Mass will be said Tuesday, Dec. 20, 10:30 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4390 Utica, in Denver. A reception in his honor will follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts be made to Collier Hospice Center, 3210 North Lutheran Parkway, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033, or to a charity of choice.