Brian Lee Barber
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Brian Lee Barber, 55, of Sumter, South Carolina, passed away on Sunday January 30, 2022, after a courageous battle following a traumatic brain injury.
He was born on March 18, 1966, and is survived by his loving wife, Cristina; his daughter Blaze Leigh; and his parents Brownie and Bill Ritenour of New Market and Richmond, Virginia and Bob Barber of Broadway, Virginia. Also surviving are his stepchildren E.J. Wood (Michelle) of Sumter, South Carolina; Christopher Diaz (Joseph) of Denver, Colorado; and his grandchildren Tarja, Anna, Cameron. He is also survived by his brother Rhodes Ritenour (Alana), and niece Virginia Grace and nephew Rhodes, Jr. of Richmond, Virginia. Other relatives and a host of friends also mourn his passing.
He was born and raised in New Market, Virginia and graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1984, where he played basketball and golf. In 1983, he was the Virginia High School League individual golf state champion. He attended Methodist College on a golf scholarship, and later attended Bridgewater College.
He served twenty-one-and-a-half years in the United States Air Force, honorably discharged upon retirement as a Master Sergeant in 2007. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. He was stationed in Texas, Arizona, Philippines, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and spent the balance of his career at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. He was a member of the 77th Fighter Squadron, arming F-16 fighter jets. He was selected as a member of the U.S. Air Force All State Golf Team, competing in Scotland, Canada, and the U.S.
Learning to play from a young age at Shenvalee Golf Course, he became a scratch golfer and a member of Beech Creek Golf Club. He was an avid hunter with a collection of trophy mounts. He was a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Orioles, James Madison University, and the University of Virginia. He once had a double-eagle hole-in-one on the par-four twelfth hole at Carolina Lakes Golf Club, on Shaw Air Force Base, where he twice shot the course record at the time (63). Brian always had a smile on his face, and he was loved and admired by many people.
A visitation will be held at the Bullock Funeral Home, 1190 Wilson Hall Road; Sumter, SC 29150, on Monday February 7 from 5:00 - 7:00PM. A military graveside service will be held at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Road, Columbia, SC 29229, on Tuesday February 8 at 10:45AM, meeting at the Administrative Building.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the AHERO Foundation, 775 Old Montgomery Highway, Shorter, Alabama 36075 (AHEROUSA.org) ((910) 548 - 8864), or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), 1400 K Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005 (JDRF.org) ((202) 371-0044).
A gathering of family and friends will be held in New Market, Virginia at a later date.
You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book.
The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.