Thomas F. "Tucker" Barrett

BARRETT, Thomas F. "Tucker" - Passed away peacefully on September 29, 2005, at age 57, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Tucker will be remembered for his strength of will, his fighting spirit, his love of family, friends and a good glass of wine. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and changed the life of many. We will miss him so much. He is survived by his loving wife of 13 years, Maureen; his sons, Mike and Steve; stepchildren, Nicole and Sean; mother, Marnie; siblings, Kathy, Judy, Tim and Trish; many nieces and nephews and his granddaughter Maddy. Tucker was born in the Bay Area and lived in San Carlos through his high school years. He is an alumnus of both Serra High School and San Carlos High School. He served his country in the Naval Reserves for four years then moved to SF where he successfully managed the Rusty Scupper restaurant for 10 years making it one of the most popular dinner destination spots in the City. He loved to fly and had his pilot's license when his son Mike was a baby, often strapping the infant seat in the copilot's seat and heading up and out over the Bay. He passed his love of flying on to Mike, inspiring his son to get his pilot's license. Tucker will be remembered by many friends for the times he would smile and announce it was time for a "Tucker flight" to Monterey for lunch or to Mexico for a margarita. Maureen and Tucker met for the first time at his mother's house when she was 15 and in high school with her best friend Trish, his youngest sister. Eight years her senior, he paid scant attention to her, busy with his own life and two young sons. Recently divorced, his path crossed his future wife's in San Francisco in 1978 when she was 23 and visiting Trish for the weekend. This time he paid attention. They dated for two years at the height of his "Scupper" years, but timing is everything and they went their separate ways. In 1988 he started as a salesman for Southern Wine and Spirits quickly rising to manager of San Jose. At his mother, Marnie's 70th birthday party in December 1991 he met Maureen again and quickly proposed. They were married at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma in September and built a life together in Clovis, CA, when Tucker was promoted to branch manager of the Central Valley for Southern. They created a destination spot at their home for their many friends and family who looked forward to the weekends at "Tucker Lake." Those times will be cherished by all who shared them. Maureen and Tucker traveled, laughed and loved and together faced the devastating news of his cancer in July 2003. Tucker never faltered, he fought the disease for over two years with chemotherapy and radiation. He loved his job and continued to work, even during the worst of the treatment's side effects. He believed in personal responsibility and accountability and was truly an inspiration to all who knew him and witnessed his courage. He was determined to see the birth of his first grandchild, Madeleine, and was overjoyed when his son, Steve and daughter-in-law, Melissa placed her in his arms in April. He lived to celebrate one last wedding anniversary with Maureen and passed away 10 days later. His life will be celebrated on Sat, October 8 at 1:00 pm, with a Funeral Mass at Saint Charles Church, San Carlos, immediately followed by a reception in Redwood City. His family respectfully requests donations in memory of Tucker Barrett be made to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and sent to: LAF, P.O. Box 130819, Houston, TX 77219-0818.