Barry Daniel Sulpizio

BARRY DANIEL SULPIZIO OBITUARY

 July 9, 1966 – April 4, 2023

Passed from this life on 4 April 2023 surrounded by his family and hospice caregivers after an extended and difficult journey through the cruel illness known as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).

Barry was born at Fort Gordon, GA on 9 July 1966 and lived his early childhood years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois. In Philadelphia, Barry attended St. Joseph and Holy Spirit elementary schools. He served as an altar boy and received First Holy Communion and Confirmation at St. Joseph catholic church. Barry moved with his family to Chicago in 1980 where he attended high school and graduated from Hoffman Estates High School in 1984. His teenage and formative years in Chicago were spent in and around the suburbs of Vernon Hills, Lake Bluff and Hoffman Estates. While in Chicago, Barry was an avid Bears fan, especially during their reign as 1985 NFL champions ‘Da Bears’.

Barry moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1992 and began working in the food service industry while living with his parents. His independent streak soon had him out on his own working at a local restaurant where he met and fell in love with his future wife Diana. Barry worked his way up the ranks to managerial duties at Jim’s Restaurants in San Antonio.

Barry and Diana raised their children and Barry was a man whose family was his anchor. As his wife Diana recalled, he was ‘coach of the year’ during both his children’s births. He had many hobbies over the years. His love of history, music, board games and fish tanks started while he was a youngster and provided him many hours of pleasure and enjoyment.  As he got older, he incorporated cigar collecting and beer tap collecting into his hobby list. But foremost to Barry was the ideals of Family and celebrating the annual holidays. He loved decorating the home at Christmas and insuring Christmas card mailings were out early, the tree was all decked out and the presents were under the tree on Christmas morning.  One of his favorites was Halloween. Getting the kids into their Halloween costumes as well as getting the ‘ spooky  on’ was his goal every October.

Barry loved his movies. In his teenage years it was all about the three stooges, Monty Pythons Flying Circus and Svengoolie’s late night on TV and Mel Brooks’ “History of the World – Part One” and “The Search for the Holy Grail” in the movies. Then came the war movies of his early twenties and thirties. Most notably Hogan’s Heroes on television and ‘The Dirty Dozen’ and “Von Ryans’s Express” at the movies. In Barry’s last years it became exclusively ‘Von Ryan’s Express’. It was almost a 24 hour a day feature in the Sulpizio home. So much so that they had to replace the DVD four times!!

Barry is survived by his wife Diana L. Sulpizio, his son Adam W. Boehl and his daughter Audrey G. Sulpizio, all of San Antonio, Texas.  Barry also leaves his mother, Janice (Gilbert) Harper and father Danny R. Harper of San Antonio, Texas as well as brother Aaron Harper and wife Jennifer of DeForest, Wisconsin; brother Adam Harper of Houston, Texas and Reedsport, Oregon and many nieces and nephews and extended family members in the Harper families of Houston, Texas, the Gilbert families of West Virginia and the Boehl families of Missouri.

Barry will be cremated, and the family will hold a private Celebration of Life honoring his life at a later date to be announced. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association for Frontotemporal  Dementia at theaftd.org.

The family would like to thank the caring staff and caregivers of the Heart of Texas Hospice in San Antonio, Texas for their caring and gentle treatment of Barry in his final months. Additionally, the family would like to acknowledge the services provided by the CareLink staff and University Health System, and the Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center-Doctor Alicia Parker and caring staff for their assistance in the initial diagnosis and treatment of Barry during the beginning phases of his illness.

AS OUR HUSBAND, SON, FATHER AND BROTHER ALWAYS USED TO SAY “NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO – THERE YOU ARE!”