Tribute: Barry Collins

Barry Collins was loved by so many people in Wendover, not only his family with whom he worked in close harmony but all his customers with whom he made friends. No wonder, there was general mourning when he died in Stoke Mandeville Hospital in the early hours of Saturday 19 February 2022 after a 10 year battle with myeloma.

Barry was an Essex boy, born on 28 October 1945 in Shoeburyness, one of the original Baby Boomers who experienced and perpetuated the optimism of a generation who had lived through a long and terrible war and were determined that life in the future would be better for everyone. His family moved to Aston Clinton and that's where he grew up as a proud Buckinghamshire Man. He lived in the area for the rest of his life.

His background was in the motor trade and he had worked tirelessly to understand it inside out so it was only natural that he would think of giving access to his expertise to members of the public as well as those in the trade. It was lucky for us that he found premises in Wendover and was able to open Wendover Motor Spares in the 1980s. We all discovered what a gem of a human being he was.

His family describes him as a loving devoted husband, fantastic father and an amazing grandfather. He was bright and cheery, full of fun and always there to help anyone. They also describe their devastation at his death. They would like to thank all customers and friends for the encouragement they gave Barry since he started the family business many years ago. You have all made his dreams come true and he enjoyed every day he spent in Wendover. Thank you for your continued assistance during this hard time. Barry’s family would like to say a big thank you to the people of Wendover, friends and family who turned out to show their respects on Friday 18 March. The support shown by everyone was amazing and Barry would have been extremely proud to see how much he was liked.

In 2012, Barry was diagnosed with myeloma, a rare type of cancer which affects plasma cells in the bone marrow, weakening the immune system and causing damage to bones. Whilst myeloma is treatable, there is currently no cure. During his treatment, Barry met and befriended many other people also suffering from myeloma and wished to raise money to find more treatments and a cure. Donations to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s myeloma research can be made by clicking on bit.ly/3hDhVLk.