John S. Barbour: Attorney had sailed in Port Huron to Mackinac race since ’60s [Detroit Free Press]

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Nov. 30--John S. Barbour learned to sail at age 6 and completed his first Port Huron to Mackinac race at the age of 17. The avid sailor, 64, died Nov. 23 of pancreatic cancer at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Mr. Barbour of Grosse Pointe sailed in nearly every Port Huron to Mackinac race since his first in 1965, most recently racing year after year aboard his North American 40s named Velero VI and Velero VII.

"I hope he gets to heaven and finds out there are 40 NA 40s on the starting line," said Al Declercq of Grosse Pointe Park, a longtime friend.

He also was a loving husband and father, an attorney and music lover.

Mr. Barbour was born in Toledo in 1947, and his family moved to Grosse Pointe Shores in 1951. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from Eastern Michigan University and his juris doctor degree from the University of Detroit.

His specialties were taxation, estate planning and business law, and he had a longtime law practice in Grosse Pointe.

He also served on the faculty and was later chairman of the business department of Marygrove College for 10 years.

He met his wife, Monica, in law school, and the couple have three children: John Samuel (Sammy) Jr., Katie Leigh and Kimberly.

Mr. Barbour loved classical and Broadway music and encouraged that love in their children.

In 1993, Mr. Barbour won the overall division title for the Port Huron to Mackinac race with Velero VI, and his Velero VII finished first overall in the cruising division for the Chicago to Mackinac race in 2008.

Mr. Barbour was instrumental in re-igniting the prestigious Canada's Cup series in 2001 after a seven-year hiatus. He crewed aboard Bayview's entry in 1972, 1975 and 1978, and was later chairman of Bayview's Canada's Cup effort for 10 years.

He also was instrumental in making Bayview's junior sailing program open to nonmembers. The junior sailing center at Bayview was named in Mr. Barbour's honor Nov. 20.

"John has probably done more pro-bono work for junior sailing, the DRYA (Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association) and Bayview Yacht Club than the next 10 guys put together," said Declercq "He loved Bayview, and his real passion was the NA 40 fleet, which he just about single-handedly kept going."

In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by his brother, Sloane; stepbrother, Walter (Skip) Clark Jr., several nephews and nieces.

Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 tonight at Verheyden Funeral Home, 16300 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park. A funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church, 157 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Farms.

Contact Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki: 586-826-7278 or mmwalsh@freepress.com

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