Barry David Herzog

Barry David Herzog, 71, died Aug. 12, 2016, at the Willard Walker Hospice Home, in Fayetteville. He was born Sept. 5, 1944, at Israel Zion Hospital to George and Elizabeth Herzog in Brooklyn, N.Y. It may be hard to believe, but Barry D. Herzog is not an Arkansas native. Despite the fact that he had not lived in New York since the 1970s, he never lost the distinctive dialect and delighted in people's amusement at his pronunciation of many words. He grew up in Far Rockaway, N.Y., attended PS 104 in Queens and was reared in an era of cabana clubs, nickel movies, taking the train into the City to watch the Dodgers or Yankees and fun at Coney Island. Barry graduated from Yankton College in Yankton, S.D., and earned a master's degree in healthcare administration from Washington University in St. Louis. He served in the United States Air Force. His career was spent in medical group management working as clinic or hospital administrator in Columbia, Mo., Bloomington, Ill., Melbourne, Fla., before bringing his family to Fayetteville in 1984. He was the administrator of Fayetteville Diagnostic Clinic and participated in the development of the North Hills Medical Park. He served the community as a member of the Fayetteville School Board, and as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Town & Gown Advisory Committee, in addition to other community organizations. He spent the last decade as an independent insurance advisor. Barry David Herzog never met a stranger. Never one to turn down a party, or a nice glass of red wine, Barry loved to socialize, travel, cook, garden, enjoy fine dining, and make clippings of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times to share recipes and articles of interest with all his family and friends. He loved to spend time at the Fayetteville Public Library where, he joked, "there is a chair with my name on it." He volunteered at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, picked up litter everywhere he went and loved the Botanical Gardens and the Farmer's Market. He was an avid Razorback fan, especially the men's basketball team, which he followed to the 1994 National Championship. The only thing that rivaled his zest for life, was his love for his family and pride in his grandchildren and children, who he often said "succeeded in spite of me." Always a "glass full" type of guy, one of his inspirational catch phrases of "Stay focused, stay positive" served as words of encouragement for himself, and others. Recent trips include travel to Italy, Costa Rica, and Puerto Vallarta with friends. He is survived by his partner, Kathy Ball; her children, Slade and Amanda Adams; daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Cade Jacobs; grandchildren, Caitlyn Elizabeth and Peter Herzog Jacobs; son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Kerry Herzog; grandsons, Carter Gobel and Kade Gobel; two brothers and their spouses, Paul and Janet Herzog, Marc and Marjorie Herzog; one niece and three nephews; 11 great-nieces and nephews; Karen Ball and Tate Wolf, and many friends. A private burial will be held at Fairview Memorial Gardens and a memorial celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m., Aug. 15, in the Parish Hall at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. Arrangements are by Nelson-Berna Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Washington Regional Hospice Home or the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation. Online condolences: www.nelsonberna.com.