Guy T. Barone

1946 - 2025

News story
By Baala Shakya
Blade Staff Writer

Guy T. Barone, a beloved Toledo trial attorney, whose courtroom passion was matched only by his fierce loyalty to friends and clients, died Friday. He was 78.

He had battled Lou Gehrig's disease in recent months.

Born Sept. 9, 1946, in the mountain town of L'Aquila, Italy - a name meaning "eagle," a symbol he cherished throughout life - Mr. Barone arrived in the United States in 1951 aboard the S.S. Constitution with his mother and sister, settling in Canton, Ohio, to begin his family's American dream.

Though he arrived not knowing a word of English, Mr. Barone excelled in school through hard work and perseverance, eventually becoming the first in his family to attend college. After transferring to the University of Dayton, he met Mary Sue Selleck, whom he called "the prettiest girl in Dayton." They married in 1970 and built a nearly 55-year partnership, raising three children together.

"He was very much the nucleus of our family. He carried us all on his shoulders with his Italian upbringing," said his daughter Juliane Barone. "He knew no strangers. From the grocery store to his clients, there were so many people who were touched by my dad, and he made an impression."

After a stint working on the railroad, a job he fondly remembered, and serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Mr. Barone took the advice of his Marine officers and enrolled in law school at the University of Toledo, graduating in 1972.

Buzz Crane, who served alongside Mr. Barone in the Marines, said that he was a man of "loyalty" to his family, to his Italian heritage, and to the Marines.

Over his more than 50-year legal career, Mr. Barone worked at the Toledo Legal Aid Society, served as an assistant county prosecutor, taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Toledo civil law clinic, and spent many years in private practice, ultimately founding his own law firm in 1997.

Retired judge and law school classmate James Bates said that Mr. Barone was a "very good lawyer, but even better a person."

In private practice, he became known for passionately representing victims of personal injury and medical malpractice.

"He fought fiercely for those who were underprivileged, taken advantage of, or wrongfully injured," said Kay Merritt, who worked as his legal assistant from 1984 until 2018. "His motto was 'Faith, Family and Friends.' His family was everything to him."

Among his significant legal work was a case that reached the Ohio Supreme Court - Jordan vs. Maumee Valley Hospital - involving time limits for parents filing malpractice suits on behalf of their children. The 1986 ruling was favorable to Mr. Barone's client.

"He truly cared about his clients," said former law partner James E. Yavorcik, recalling how Mr. Barone often visited clients at their homes to understand their struggles.

Colleagues remember not only his courtroom skill but his personal mentorship and generosity.

"Guy was an example of what it means to zealously advocate on behalf of a client and how to fiercely love family and friends," said Judge Eric Allen Marks, who met Mr. Barone early in his own legal career. "He invited me to lunch at the Spitzer Building, on golf outings, and introduced me to other lawyers and judges. He treated me as an equal."

Mr. Barone's many friends and family speak of a man who was deeply loyal, full of humor and warmth, and who built lifelong relationships.

"He was one of those people you meet along the way who resonate with you and then they stay with you," said Ms. Barone. "

"We lost a great man," Ms. Merritt said. "He used to make the statement: 'A gentleman, a scholar, and a mighty warrior.' That is who he was."

Outside the courtroom, Mr. Barone was an avid golfer, gardener, and loyal fan of the Yankees, Buckeyes, Browns, and Cavaliers. His home was often filled with friends and family, many of whom gathered around him in his final months.

His family finds comfort in a Bible verse he cherished: Isaiah 40:31 - "Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles."

"He loved eagles. He even had a weather vane shaped like an eagle on top of the house," said Ms. Barone. "For him, an eagle's greatest strength was not just its wings, but its mindset."

Mr. Barone is survived by his wife, Mary Sue; children Juliane, Benjamin, and Katherine Barone; sister Maria Vinci; brother Theodore Barone; and three grandchildren.

A Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Christ the King Catholic Church, 4100 Harvest Lane, followed by burial at Resurrection Cemetery.

Ansberg-West Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.