motion guru
Diamond
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2003
- Location
- Yacolt, WA
I got word this week that Barry Weeks from Lake Elmo, Minnesota died on Tuesday from complications related to COVID-19.
I have known Barry for about 22 years and met him through a common hobby of working on and restoring old GM trucks. We have swapped truck parts, business advice, business services, and a few stories over the last two decades. He was 2 months older than me and we were like brothers from a different mother. I was stunned to learn he had died.
Barry coached me on the first batch of machine tools I bought back in 2003, what machines to avoid, which ones were a good deal, etc. I think I had 5 employees when I first started talking with him about how to run a company. I had never done it before and he had a lot of good experience on how to do it well and how to screw it up. His advice has been solid through a growth to 60 employees and then shrinkage back to 45 over the last 2 years.
Barry was humble, funny, gracious, and we shared the childhood experience of having parents that always told us that we had shit for brains or were as worthless at tits on a boar hog. Despite our shared lack of any kind of ability in the eyes of our folks, we both started small businesses and figured out how to navigate our way forward in the world.
I hadn't talked to Barry in months and regret not staying in closer touch with him through the pandemic. We all have busy lives - make sure you spend your time on things that matter.
Goodbye Barry . . . wish I could have said it in person.
Me and Barry in front of his shop with my old GMC a few years back during better times.
I have known Barry for about 22 years and met him through a common hobby of working on and restoring old GM trucks. We have swapped truck parts, business advice, business services, and a few stories over the last two decades. He was 2 months older than me and we were like brothers from a different mother. I was stunned to learn he had died.
Barry coached me on the first batch of machine tools I bought back in 2003, what machines to avoid, which ones were a good deal, etc. I think I had 5 employees when I first started talking with him about how to run a company. I had never done it before and he had a lot of good experience on how to do it well and how to screw it up. His advice has been solid through a growth to 60 employees and then shrinkage back to 45 over the last 2 years.
Barry was humble, funny, gracious, and we shared the childhood experience of having parents that always told us that we had shit for brains or were as worthless at tits on a boar hog. Despite our shared lack of any kind of ability in the eyes of our folks, we both started small businesses and figured out how to navigate our way forward in the world.
I hadn't talked to Barry in months and regret not staying in closer touch with him through the pandemic. We all have busy lives - make sure you spend your time on things that matter.
Goodbye Barry . . . wish I could have said it in person.
Me and Barry in front of his shop with my old GMC a few years back during better times.
