John Frederic "Jack" Barbier Jr.

1948 - 2009

Jack Barbier was a husband, dad, brother, uncle, coach and friend. To his middle school physical education students and many children in La Jolla, he was Coach Barbier for 34 years. To his children and all their friends, too, he was a coach, not only for sports, but also for life lessons which were always taught with a sense of humor.
John Frederic Barbier, Jr., who recently passed away, was born in Palo Alto, California in 1948. He and his younger brother, Jim, spent many happy days of mischief running around in the bleachers watching Willie Mays track down fly balls and hanging out with his infamous crew. Jim says, "He was my Mother, Father and Brother, we really did not have parents, in the traditional sense." Jim was his first project in his long teaching career. "He wanted to instill [in him] and all of his future charges, the ethics of life and good sportsmanship", Jim says.
He attended Catholic school until 7th grade, and then attended a public junior High. He attended Palo Alto high school, where he played varsity soccer. He hung out with the band members of the Grateful Dead from his high school, and he and Jim attended concerts at Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco when rock groups were just starting out. He loved surfing in Santa Cruz, and this love eventually brought him to Southern California.
Jack headed for San Diego in 1970 in his Volkswagen bus with only his surfboard and $25. He first lived in Ocean Beach, where he spent his free time "shooting the OB Pier" on his twin-fin surfboard and living with buddies who followed him down from Palo Alto. He worked hard to attend San Diego State University and earned a degree in history and his teaching credential. Later he earned his master's in Physical Education. He was a United States history enthusiast and had a great respect for the Constitution and the risks that the patriots took during the Revolutionary War.
His career as a history teacher and later full-time PE coach was a perfect fit. He loved going to work and telling his wife funny stories about his students and fellow coaches. When summer drew to an end each year he was happy to be going back. He valued his work with his students, wanting them to be active and to learn skills and knowledge in the "real" sports, like football, basketball, baseball and soccer. He held his students to firm standards because he believed that he would get the best out of them that way. The camaraderie and friendships with his fellow coaches were another reason he enjoyed his work so much.
He met his first wife, Cheryl, when they were getting their teaching credentials at SDSU. He tragically lost Cheryl to cancer with 3 children to take care of, ages 6, 4 and 3 months. Cheryl was a great mom and a beautiful lady, witty and wise beyond her years.
He met his wife, Leslie, and they have had the honor and adventure of raising their four kids who he had been so proud of. He was the master planner of family trips and was determined to get the most out of each moment. Trips to faraway beaches in Hawaii or the Caribbean were his favorite. He loved taking his family to explore the local tide pools and was an expert identifying all the creatures. If he found something he didn't recognize, he always looked it up in his books about ocean life when he returned home. He loved learning and inspiring that in his family. "My dad taught me to be curious, to see new places, and to appreciate unique experiences," his daughter Brooke says. The adventures at the tide pools represent this way of living.
Jack coached dozens of sports teams that his children played for and took pride in being able to spend afternoons playing catch and pickle with them. His son, Danny, remembers that with Dad as "coach", he "taught me 'glove in the dirt'... to choke up with two strikes, and to never swing at the first pitch. Coach taught me to read the goalies' eyes during a penalty kick. Coach taught me to get a yellow card in the opening minutes of a soccer game to "set the tone" against the opponent. Coach taught me to surf goofy foot..." Commitment was also important to Jack: "my dad always told me if you say you're going to do something; then you'd better do it," Danny recalls.
Jack completed several triathlons and had earned his brown belt in karate, before family life and coaching began to take more of his time. He still enjoyed working out and had fun encouraging his family to do so. He organized a Junior Olympics competition each summer among his own kids when they were little.
As "Dad", he "taught how to persevere, no matter how hard the knocks in life", his son, Matt, remembers. "I always told my dad I wanted to be just like him. And every time I told him that he looked at me right in the eyes, with a stern face and said, 'I don't want you to be just like me… I want you to be better'. This is the type of man he was." His daughter, Briana, said, "My dad loved to tell jokes and make everyone laugh. He taught me that the best things in life are free, such as the beauty in nature, strength of character, and quality time with family."
He loved his neighbors and the families of the community of Bird Rock and La Jolla where he lived. Jack felt blessed to have such people in his life. He thanked God every day for his family, his home, and his friends, and appreciated the richness of his life.
He is survived by his wife, Leslie, and their children, Daniel, Brooke, Briana and Matt; his brother, Jim, and his wife, Maria, and their children, Amanda and Patrick. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters-in-law and mother-in-law of the Osment family and brothers, sister-in-law, niece and nephews of the Wulf family.
A family gathering was held in his honor. He is incredibly missed and his life will be honored by his loved ones.