The following messages of condolence and symbols
have been added in memory of Barry.

Barry taught me at Upper Hutt College and I played cricket against him in the Hutt Valley cricket competition. I enjoyed Barry's
friendship in the years after school. He was great fun to be with and had a great perspective on things. While I lost contact with Barry when I moved to Brisbane, I have very fond memories of time with Barry. May he rest in peace and my condolences to his family.

Dear Liz and family
Sending my deepest condolences on the passing of Barry your life partner.
I remember when we worked together hearing all the wonderful stories and your strong connection.
I hope he is now in peace.
lots of love Gracie Munari x

Dear Elizabeth & Family,

Sending my deepest condolences.

Barry was truely an incredible human. His optimistic, open minded nature, humour and passion for life was inspiring.

I will miss Barry and continue to be inspired by him.

Thinking of you all,
Leyna

Dear Barry,
Today we celebrate your life which was a life full of achievement, adventure, friendship and love. I so wish you were here to join the celebration.
Thank you for the way you welcomed me into the family.
You have been an incredible support to Andy and I.
Having you and dad do the service at our wedding is one of the highlights of my life.
I feel so lucky to have had you in my life and to have been a part of your wonderful family. You taught me so much. I always loved your company whether we were having a conversation while walking through a European city, chatting about the footy, listening to your stories or at a Best street feast.
I will miss you.

Love Sal

Barry taught me at Upper Hutt College in the early 70s. He was great. I was thinking fondly of him, googled as you do, found this. Very sad.

Robyn Thomson

Barry; a wonderful colleague and friend, a caring teacher, always willing to help, teller of highly amusing anecdotes that kept us laughing, a wordsmith. Who can forget his witty Princes Hill speeches? Who did I ring when I locked my bike in Sydney Rd and left my keys at school? (Luckily he’d not already left to play golf.) He’ll be sadly missed at the Naked For Satan retiree get togethers.
I will always remember Barry very fondly.
We’re very sorry we won’t be in Melbourne for the celebration of Barry’s life.
Our heart felt condolences to Liz and family.

So sad that you are gone Barry from three fellow golfers from Mirage golf club. You were a real gentlemen and it was a pleasure to have you in our group.
Ron, George, & Bob.

Tuesdays with Barry
Over the months, from 3 till half 4
Tuesdays with Barry, like parring with four
was rewarding, intriguing and wanting for more,
Biscuits and tea and occasionally cake
lovingly made by the ones who could bake.
We'd talk in the bedroom or sitting downstairs,
discussing world matters or council affairs.
Walks in the forest, slow and with care,
talking, and breathing the fresh Fitzroy air.
Our parting refrain, "we'll see you next week"
sadly, not, again !
Miss you dear friend and always will,
Dave & Marg . Peter & Denyse.

Please accept our deepest condolences.Barry was a gentleman and a respected member of our golf club at Yarra Park. It was so good to see him when he visited us only a few weeks ago. I can’t believe he is gone.
He will be remembered for a long time.
RIP Barry 🌹

Dear Barry, I'm limiting myself to five adjectives - generous and kind, inspiring, entertaining and funny, learned and smart and wise, and hugely enthusiastic about whatever was taking his interest at a given moment. That looks like more than five adjectives, but there must be one word to cover learned and smart and wise for example, to more fully describe that particular special quality of Barry's, if only he could tell me what that word is (he would come up with something).
I love that he took his class to the local public golf course, to play golf.
Elizabeth - I'm so sorry to hear about Barry, and am sending you all best wishes. We are all away on December 10th, otherwise would be there to celebrate a truly remarkable person.

The smile, the twinkle, the perfect phrase.
Farewell Baz, Pauline and Max

Farewell wonderful Barry - We will miss your kindness, wisdom and funny stories. Your poems will live long, and our memory of you.

Day by day,
the maples in frenzy letting go
their complications,
I can see deeper
into the woods. All's clearer
and clearer,
then, one moment,
absolutely clear.
Then winter.

(James Richardson)

Kia Ora from Aotearoa to Elizabeth and the whanau and friends of dear Barry! We are thinking of you all assembled in the library, a favourite posse for one of the most formidable readers we have been lucky to have known.

Remembering Barry.

We remember the lovely days of travelling around gourmet France, through the fields of Flanders, along the coast of Spain, from surf to turf in Western Australia. An intrepid foursome, with
Doug driving, Elizabeth navigating, Barry doing readings from the Michelin guides and Heather enjoying the passing scenery!

We remember gastronomic stops en route when Elizabeth would consider the menu and then turn to Barry and say ’now Barry, I think you should have this with that’ and of course, Barry would have ’this with that’.

We remember fun filled times Up Over in London and Brussels and we remember fun filled times Downunder in Melbourne and Auckland. Barry the best of sippers at many suppers.

We remember his driving issue anecdotes where he mastered that art of poking fun at himself. We laughed till we cried as he recounted his latest misadventure.

We remember his beautifully articulate voice, intonation so soft and gentle and ideally suited to the poetry readings which became more frequent as the decades went by.

We remember his quick wit - those wonderfully artful quips which he would offer up at the most unexpected but appropriate times.

We remember his varying attempts to speak French. ‘Heather I need to know some expletives please!’

We remember balmy evenings all together in Port Douglas drinking GTs at sunset. Maybe my special birthday poem was composed after a few of those…. Crocs on the golf course did not deter Barry from his favourite sport, nor did the wind on the beach during his daily sunrise yoga sessions.

We will remember you dear Barry for these memories amongst so many others. Recalling them brings us so much happiness.

Thank you for the extraordinary fulfilling friendship you gave to us through which the memories will be forever with us.

With our love to Elizabeth with whom Barry’s bond is infinite.

Heather and Doug Bartlett

Well!
How do you write about Barry?? The numerous stories, the laughter.
Our relationship with him was mostly long distance and often necessitated a flight across the ditch to Melbourne, a city he took to like a duck to water, and Melbourne returned the favour.
Whether we stayed or visited, Barry embraced us like family, and we loved his company – always interesting conversations and lots and lots and lots of laughter.
We remember well a visit to Fergie Street where he introduced us to green tea and horoscopes. Whatever he did, he embraced it with enthusiasm, passion and joy – the latter years of course his passion for golf.
At family “do’s” which we had the privilege of attending, Barry’s speeches or poems were always a highlight – and now a lasting memory thanks to his book “Words to Wade in”. YouTube of course, now lets us listen to Barry reading his poems – just magic!
Thanks for your input into our lives Baz – and as you would say – “let’s go and have a cleansing ale”.
You will be sorely missed by us.
Much love

Barry, you left this world with such strength and grace. Fatal news did not seem to daunt you. How wonderful that you launched 'Words to Wade in' before you left us. Vale to a fine man.

I am so sorry to hear Barry has died. These last months will have been hard and although Barry had wonderful support, you all had a lot to deal with. I hope you are all receiving lots of love from your friends and all the people who cared for Barry.

Barry always seemed the quintessential decent chap to me - funny, kind, interested in everyone, a great intellect and interesting himself. His family and friends are going to miss him enormously.

I am sorry I can’t be there, but I am thinking of you all.

Barry, you were my neighbour - always cheerful, smiling and such a great listener. You'll be so sadly missed. It was wonderful knowing you. Rest peacefully.

Baz is a legend of Prinny Hill SC. A funny, joyful and kind man. And what a story teller! An anecdote a day from Baz would keep us all in very good shape as humans. Thanks Barry, love to your family

Barry taught me Year 12 Literature back in 2011 and I remember him as kind, caring and so passionate about what he was teaching. He had a great sense of humour and brought literature to life. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher. Rest in peace.

Barry embraced life and all its offerings, such that his energy and positivity for all things was evident. A very generous man who took interest in all he interacted with both individually or collectively. An intellectual, sportsman, endless committee man and great bloke! Thank you for being our friend, Barry.

Just a terrific bloke. Funny, warm-hearted. An excellent teacher and great colleague. Master of the witty anecdote. Rest in peace Baz

In great sorrow we announce the death of Barry David Coley on Thursday 21 November, 2024. Barry died peacefully in St Vincent’s Hospital after a seven month illness.
Teacher, sportsman and poet, Barry was the cherished partner of Elizabeth, the adored father of Michele, Andrew, Rachael and Rachel, dearly loved father-in law to Steve, Matt and Sally, beloved grandbaz of Emily, Alice, Samson, Rain, Joji, Willa and Charlie, steadfast brother of Diana and Jeffrey, loved brother-in-law to Margaret, David , Carmel and Kevin, uncle to Fin, Anna, Tim, Nicola, Amy and Lizzie.
We would love you to help us farewell Barry at an informal gathering of family and friends at 5.15pm on Tuesday, 10 December, 2024 at the Bargoonga Nganjin Community Room, 3rd floor, Fitzroy North Library, St George’s Road, Fitzroy North.
Everyone is welcome. Please pass this invite on to others as you see fit.
E ngakau aroha ana,
Elizabeth and family