Obituary - Brent "Tino" M. Barber

Brent "Tino" M. Barber, 44, passed away on May 24, 2015, in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Rosary services for Brent will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2015, at 7 p.m., at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook. Funeral Mass will be Friday, June 5, 2015, at 11 a.m., at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook.

Memorials may be made to St. Gabriel's, Box 1089, or to PAWS Animal Shelter, Box 132, Chinook, MT 59523.

Arrangements are made through Edwards Funeral Home, Chinook. Condolences may be left for the family at http://www.edwardsfuneralhomemt.com.

My name is Brent Bernard Barber, Tino to most. I am told I was born on July 17, 1970, in Havre, Montana, to Frank and Bettie Barber. Waiting at home for me was my brother, Brian. I don't remember those early years, but my mom says I was an independent baby and I grew to manhood the same. At about 1 year of age I began to have issues digesting my food and coughed a lot.

At 2 years I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Doctors didn't know much about the disease then and the prognosis was that I would probably not live much past the age of 12. Knowing this, my parents decided to adopt and my sister Brenda was added to our family. When I was 7, I became very ill and wasn't expected to live to see Christmas. But so many wonderful people began to pray for me that I defied the doctors and got better. I attended Bear Paw School through eighth grade going on to graduate from Chinook High in 1988.

I was manager of the football team, got decent grades and managed to get into a bit of trouble now and then. As a child I told my parents that I wanted to be a part-time truck driver and a part-time doctor. With this in mind, as soon as I graduated, my cousin, John Speight, flew from Virginia to Montana, and we headed east in my Plymouth Fury. Arriving in Virginia, I took up residence with my maternal grandparents, Rudy and Cleo Lovinetti. I attended CVCC and earned my certification in respiratory therapy.

I was soon employed by Lynchburg General Hospital. Eventually the "truck driver/gypsy" part of me took over and I moved on, working in Tennessee Children's Hospital and Denver Children's Hospital. Then back to Virginia where I went back to school and gained my registry as a respiratory therapist, finally ending up in Durham, North Carolina, where I bought my first home and was employed by a Home Health Care Company.

Owning my own home I was able to pursue what was my greatest passion, adopting shelter dogs. Over the years I adopted Starr, Duke, Sebastian, Free, Amore, Fergie, Autumn, Kate, Topanga, Mila and Alexander. Just for a twist I also purchased a corn snake who traveled with me for over 20 years. During this time I managed to visit Italy twice and Ireland.

In April 2002 I married Rebecca Thornton and we have a beautiful daughter, Kennedy Reece. Lucky for them they both love the dog family as much as I. Whenever a member of our dog family passed I would grieve as if it were a child or sibling of mine.

In 2008 my cystic fibrosis caught up with me and I required a double lung transplant. On Jan. 31, a loving donor, great doctors and again a multitude of prayers granted me the lungs I needed. I walked out of the hospital 12 days after my transplant. With the transplant came change, immune suppressants were required so my body would not reject the lungs, and I could no longer work. I became a "house husband/dad."

I loved staying with Kennedy and the dogs. Cooking, yard work, volunteering at Kennedy's school and coin collecting filled my days. Seven years were added to my life thanks to the generosity and love of that organ donor.

On May 24 I slipped in the arms of God to join Him and many loving family members. With sadness I leave Rebecca, Kennedy, Mom, Dad, Brian, Brenda and Amanda; four nieces, Stephanie, Jocelyn, Allanah and Alexis and one nephew, Luke, along with many loved cousins, family members and friends.

Please don't grieve me but remember me with stories of my dry sense of humor, my antics and my love of animals.