Peter F. Barbier, Jr.

Peter F. Barbier, Jr. age 52 of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 9, 2018. He was surrounded bedside with family.

Throughout Peter’s life, he faced varied health challenges. When he was just one years old, a trip to the hospital to deal with a bout of pneumonia resulted in the discovery and diagnosis of diabetes.

The youngest of three children born to Peter and Theresa Barbier, Peter was raised in Newark and attended Bloomfield Technical High School.  Following high school, Peter first worked as a facilities manager for an apartment complex in South Orange. He later accepted a position as a dock worker with New England Motor Freight in Elizabeth, NJ. He was there for the majority of his working years until 2005 when he suffered a stroke which forced early retirement. A second stroke occurred in 2007 and Peter’s failing health prompted a move to Wayne in 2013 so that he could be closer to his family.  

One day in 1985, nineteen-year-old Peter met a young girl babysitting for his neighbor who lived across the street from his house. Her name was Claudia, and three years later, that brief encounter resulted in marriage. A wonderful blessing resulted when Peter and Claudia excitedly welcomed their son Peter John.

Peter and his son enjoyed many great times together. They shared a love for football, baseball and NASCAR racing. Peter had an unusual way of dedicating himself to the teams which he chose to root for. His lifetime love of the NFL Miami Dolphins was prompted by a Christmas gift he received at about age 4, a Miami Dolphins helmet. His love of baseball came a little later in life when he was down in Miami for a Dolphins game, an annual trip with lifelong friends and family to see his beloved Dolphins and Dan Marino. While there, it just so happened that the MLB Florida Marlins were going for their first World Series title against the Cleveland Indians. Peter was able to scalp some tickets and go to the game. From then on, he was a Marlins fan, which came as a disappointment to his family, lifelong Yankees fans. This was just a testament that Peter did not follow the crowd and was his own man. When it came to NASCAR racing, Peter was the biggest fan of three drivers - Richard “The King” Petty, Ricky “The Rooster” Rudd, and Bill “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” Elliott. He and son Peter John got to attend three races together; twice at the Pocono Raceway and once at the Kentucky Speedway. He didn’t stop there, he also made it to Daytona for the 500. His love of travelling also prompted a road trip for Mardi Gras in Savannah, GA with his brother Chuck and friends.

As little kids growing up, Peter and his sister Andrea made a regular habit of playing that good old-fashioned game of Cowboys and Indians. Andrea eventually put those days behind her but Peter continued to embrace many facets of the cowboy life throughout adulthood. Walking into his house was like walking into the Wild West, with Indian dream catchers, photos of the western desert and pictures of wolves everywhere. He loved the music of Johnny Cash, Slim Whitman, and other country-western artists, and the bolo tie became a staple in Peter’s “dressed up attire”. Ask Peter any detail about a classic John Wayne movie or any episode of Bonanza, The Wild Wild West or F-Troop and he could tell you all about it. In recent years he enjoyed Duck Dynasty, he especially enjoyed Uncle Si and his bits of wisdom.  A frustrated urban cowboy and outdoorsman, Peter was an avid reader of Guns and Ammo Magazine and a frequent viewer of the Hunting Channel. He also liked to watch the cooking channels, especially when the culinary theme was BBQ. And oh yeah…Peter also liked the famed daredevil Evel Knievel, especially the time that Evel attempted the jump across the Snake River Canyon in the Magic Valley of Idaho. As a little kid, he would often emulate Evel Knievel’s stunts by jumping his big wheel over various objects in the street including his sister. After the second stroke, he enjoyed going to Atlantic City where playing the slots was his game of choice at Cesar’s Palace, his preferred venue because he always would win there.

Peter was the loving father of Peter John Barbier of Wayne; brother of Charles Barbier of Callicoon, NY, and Dr. Andrea Barbier and husband Anthony Gagliano of Wayne; and former husband of Claudia Barbier of Bloomfield. He was predeceased by his parents: Peter F. Barbier, Sr. in 1997 and Theresa Barbier Del Mauro in 2017

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Peter’s name are asked to consider the National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Suite B Centennial, CO 80112 (www.stroke.org), or the American Diabetes Association 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22202 (www.diabetes.org).