Marilyn Bradley Barber

Marilyn Bradley Barber lived an extraordinary life, filled with music and loving relationships. Marilyn was born on her family's farm in South Charleston, Ohio on October 13, 1936. She died on March 12, 2019, after a fierce battle with cancer.

Marilyn's parents Harriet and John Bradley pre-deceased her. Her father was involved in agriculture and livestock breeding in Ohio, from whom Marilyn inherited a love for animals and Ohio State University football, where her father played on the offensive line. Her mother, Harriet Bradley, was a public school teacher in Ohio. Marilyn's older brother, John, pre-deceased her in 1999. He was decorated Korean war veteran who suffered greatly from post traumatic stress for which Marilyn believed he never received adequate care.

Marilyn received her college diploma from Dennison University. She spent her sophomore year abroad in Paris, France, living near the Bois de Boulogne in western Paris, where she walked and rode horses. Her affection for France is shared by several of her stepchildren and grandchildren.

After college, Marilyn moved to New York City where she worked and sang professionally with her beautiful soprano voice. While in New York, she met the noted violinist Joseph Bernstein, with whom she developed a close friendship and professional relationship. When Joseph became seriously ill in the early 1970's, Marilyn stepped in and became the primary caregiver for Joseph's daughters, Alyssa Bernstein, Alida Margolin, and Zamira Bernstein, for a time. They remained dear friends for the rest of Marilyn's life.

Marilyn worked for the United Methodist Church administrative headquarters in New York City for many years, where she crossed paths with the Rev. James L. ""Pete"" Barber after he moved from Colorado to New York. Pete worked in the office of field service where he applied his talent for helping congregations raise money to build new churches or improve their existing facilities. Marilyn and Pete hit it off and eventually married in 1981. They were married until Pete died in 1998.

Marilyn showed her versatility and resourcefulness by obtaining a real estate license to supplement the couple's income, and to provide a place where Marilyn, her mother and brother could live with Pete outside of the City. In 1988, Pete moved back to Colorado to start the United Methodist Foundation in Denver which, at that point, did not have a bank account.

It took Marilyn nearly a year to tie up loose ends so that she could move with her mother and brother to join Pete in Denver, but she eventually made it (after Pete gently threatened that he was about to come to Ohio to get her, like it or not). Over the next 10 years Marilyn and Pete worked together to build the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation, and provide practical and spiritual advice to pastors and lay people on all manner of issues, especially fundraising. With Marilyn and Pete's help, the Foundation's assets now exceed $45 million. After Pete retired from the Methodist Church in the early 1990's, he and Marilyn continued their work under the name of Barber Fundraising Consultants.

Marilyn loved traveling the West with Pete, meeting new people and seeing the majesty of the country. She particularly liked to recount their trip to Pete's birthplace in Denton, Montana, where his father died and was buried when Pete was 9 years old. She described how the sun illuminated Pete when he found his father's gravestone in the Denton cemetery. Marilyn also adored her cats, who she nurtured for years.

Marilyn was loved by Pete's five children. She was always gracious with their mother Jeanne Barber, and helped create a situation where Marilyn, Pete, Jeanne, their children and grandchildren were able to vacation together in Ogunquit, Maine. Marilyn loved walking the beaches in southern Maine and longed one day to live there.

Unfortunately, that dream was cut short by Pete's early death in March 1998. Marilyn was devastated, but she continued working for the benefit of the Methodist Church in various roles.

Marilyn developed a wealth and variety of friendships that she maintained throughout her life. One of those friends was Roger Patterson, who was the best man at Marilyn and Pete's wedding. Roger eventually moved to Colorado and became a part of Marilyn's life until he predeceased her. Roger moved to the Harvard Square Retirement Community in 2015, and Marilyn followed him approximately one year later. She continued making friends and serving others, including raising money for the past three years for Christmas bonuses for the Harvard Square staff.

Marilyn was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She dedicated her energy to fighting her internal foe, to whom she referred to as ""Candace"" for the next 9 years. She received wonderful care from and became close to her physicians and other caregivers. After a short stint in hospice care, Marilyn died on March 12, 2019.

Marilyn's many friends, stepchildren, acquaintances and other relatives invite you to join them for a celebration of her life at Hope United Methodist Church, 5101 South Dayton Street, Greenwood Village, Colorado, on May 6, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Marilyn asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory should be made to the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado or the Dumb Friends League of Denver. Her ashes will be interred next to Pete (and the cats) in Estes Park.