Dear College Faculty and Staff,

Late last month, we got the sad news that our esteemed colleague Rich Barber, Professor of Physics, passed away from complications after a bone marrow transplant. A native of North Carolina, Rich came to Santa Clara in 1995 after earning his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland and working as a postdoctoral scholar at UCSD and the University of Delaware. Rich was kind, curious, funny, optimistic, and talkative. He loved teaching, and he was never not teaching. According to his wife, Letel, “If you asked him what time it was, he would tell you how to build a clock.”

As a graduate student and young professor, Rich investigated superconductivity in disordered films. While he continued this work throughout his career, he also developed a number of diverse and productive collaborations with SCU colleagues to study topics ranging from biopolymers to solar materials to insect silk. Rich loved working with students in his research lab, and he would do so with absolutely anyone at any level who was willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to do science. He mentored dozens of students and more than a few faculty members with clear explanations, gentle encouragement, and funny stories that usually ended in boisterous guffaws. In 2023, Rich received the Bernard Hubbard S.J. Creative Collaboration Award from the College, a testament to his gift for teaching through professional research projects and creative work.

Though his hairstyle varied over the years, Rich was always instantly recognizable in his brightly-colored short sleeve shirts that were complemented by even more colorful ties. The only times anyone remembers his arms being covered were when he was in his lab coat. He cared deeply about safety in the lab and about academic integrity. We received more than twenty notes about Rich and the impact he had on people’s lives at SCU. Many of these mentioned his openness and his eagerness to help others, whether they were directly involved in the work he was doing or not. Here are a few excerpts:

• Rich loved to tell stories.  Anytime I stopped by his office to ask a question, we would end up talking for quite a while.
• His open-hearted nature and willingness to assist made him a beloved mentor and a cherished colleague. 
• If you were going to North Carolina, you would have received detailed instructions from Rich on how to order BBQ.  Hushpuppies are a required side dish apparently!
• Rich was an extraordinary mentor and I cannot think about my beginnings as a physicist without thinking about Rich. He took me on as a research student in the summer after my first year at SCU. I had the privilege of working with him for four consecutive summers. That experience helped me get into graduate school. When I think about any success I have had, most of it started with Rich. I will always be grateful.
• Rich objected to the name “Pipetman” for the type of pipette we use in biology labs. He insisted on “Pipetperson.” Everyone on our shared research project uses that name now for that instrument.
• One student from another lab had tried to get in contact with him because she had an issue while she was using the scanning electron microscope. He was in the hospital at the time, but he called her and gave step-by-step instructions on how to deal with the problem. 
• Rich’s midlife crisis: “I don’t want a motorcycle, and I don’t want a girlfriend; I just want to grow my hair long.” 
• I have a distinct memory of Rich training me and my research student to use the atomic force microscope when he was the Director of the Center for Nanostructures. He was very patient and kind and great at explaining complex phenomena. 
• Rich was also a dancer. He joined the Dads Don’t Dance summer workshop when his son Charlie was small. From that experience, the Physics of Dance class was born and ran for 20 years, with Rich always joining the dance lab. He was the smartest person I know, a true friend and colleague. I miss him so much. 
• As a professor, a friend, and a father, Professor Barber lived his life to the fullest. He gave his all. It is a great loss for all of us to lose such an amazing person, but Professor Barber's passion for physics, the laughter and joy he brought to friends, and the love he had for his family will remain with us always.

Rich loved music. He played piano, sang in his church choir, and was an aficionado of 70’s metal bands. He told nerdy jokes and would make you smile. It was impossible not to have fun when you worked with Rich. 

He leaves behind Letel, whom he met in high school, and Charlie ’24 (Communication), of whom he was incredibly proud. Our thoughts are with them and all who loved Rich. 

There will be a celebration of life for Rich on Friday, August 9 at 2 p.m. in the Mission Church followed by a reception in the Mission Gardens. All are welcome. 

Sincerely, 

Daniel