Bari Colombari

Bari was my editor and good friend at OCP for over 30 years. He was a wonderful, witty, outrageous, servant of servants, a dedicated musician, teacher, and I will miss him very much.

I first met Bari at OCP in Portland in, I think, 1986. A working relationship grew into a friendship that lasted for the rest of his life. I will miss the deep voice and the sardonic hunor. Bari and I were founding members of the NPM listserv that continues to this day on FB Messenger. Bari used to say that wherever he traveled in the US he would always look in the hotel room phone book to see if there were any other Colombaris in the area. He only ever found one, I believe. I used to do the...

"Life is changed not ended." Order of Christian Funerals

Uncle Bari was my co-worker, friend, confirmation sponsor, and self-proclaimed relative. He was one of the mostly lovely and generous spirits to have walked this big, blue marble. He will be sorely missed.

Bari has been a dear friend of my husband, Paul Wallace, since 1974. I have known him for 45 years and he has been a dear and trusted friend. He was a student teacher at Baker High when Paul was a teacher there. He has been such a sweet part of our lives and we were in frequent communication. Since we often visit Paul's hometown of Bellingham, we would see Bari for lunches on our trips back. My most wonderful memory of time with Bari was when he took a friend and I to lunch at frozen...

Dear, dear Bari! We were pen pals when you lived in Bend, and we were both so thrilled when you moved to Portland! You quickly became a treasured friend of both my sister and me! I am sorry that we lost touch in recent years--but I never did, nor will I ever, lost my great love and respect for you. May you rest in Peace and the Everlasting Love of God, my brother!

I am stunned and saddened to learn of Bari´s death. He was an outstanding person of faith, sobriety and humor. Our paths first crossed in the late 1980s and continued to intersect as I grew into my own Catholicism. As a senior editor at OCP, I figure he has to have played a role in selecting some of the sacred songs key to my own expression. All condolences to his survivors.

Rest in peace my dear friend! Eternal peace and comfort are now with you.