Edward Barry Serviente

1942 - 2026

Edward Barry Serviente

March 22, 1942 - February 25, 2026

My brother Barry Serviente has left the river. There were three things that he loved above all else: Fishing, his dogs, and his property. Barry fly fished all over the world with an enthusiasm that was not dampened by age or repetition. If it swam and would take a fly, he was interested.

His career was shaped by this fixation, having had his hand in selling fishing supplies, books, and then managing fly fishing shows.

He was not so much of a "people person" as he was a fish person. Unlike many in this endeavor, he did not care about the size of the fish, but more the thrill of stalking, landing, and then returning. His property in rural Pennsylvania was selected for its proximity to excellent trout fishing streams and ironically, he rarely fished them, instead traveling thousands of miles to satisfy his piscatorial desires.

As to his non-fishing interests, with no background or even interest in landscaping, he sculpted his five acres to within an inch of its life. Barry treated his land like a musician their instrument, forever practicing but never getting to the point where there is no more to do or learn. He would plant a grove of trees, only to decide a year later that they had to be moved or cut down so he could put in something that suited him more. The same for bulbs, bushes, and his myriad ponds. Those five ponds were dug, modified, re-dug, filled in, deepened, and stocked with fish on a constant basis.

When he became too frail to do much of the back breaking work himself, he would direct it and do what he could by picking up branches while hobbling around with his cane (or not). His many falls in the yard or in a boat testified to his hard head and his refusal to give up doing what he so enjoyed.

Dogs were constant throughout his life. Since 1975 or so, he was not without his canines and each one was treated as a member of the household, including dinner privileges. Barry never had children, but his dogs were a good stand-in. He read voraciously and widely, preferring history and politics, and he died looking forward to the next couple of far-flung fishing adventures, as well as the next good meal.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Gerry.

www.EwingBrothers.com