Robert Leroy Barber, a semi-retired jeweler, died Nov. 28 of a stroke at Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Medical Center. The former Rockdale resident was 74.
At the time of his death, he was repairing jewelry part time for a store in West Palm Beach, Fla. He went to work for S.& N. Katz Jewelers in 1956 and was in charge of their repair and custom design work until leaving the jewelry chain in the 1970s. He retired in 1978 from Brafman's of Pikesville and moved to Palm Shores, Fla.
He was "very artistic. He could do and fix anything. He was such a nice guy and he gave us very good service," said Bernice Brafman, whose husband, Julius Brafman, owns the store.
While working at Katz's North Charles Street outlet, he designed four "Sultan of Swat" awards that were given to Mickey Mantle, Ernie Banks, Ted Williams and Roger Maris by the Maryland Professional Baseball Players' Association.
"He bluffed his way into the business," said his son, Robert C. Barber of Baltimore. "He was self-taught and had never apprenticed anywhere. He just walked into Henry's Jewelers on F Street in Washington one day and told them he could do anything and they hired him."
The son said it was quite common for his father to walk around the city with priceless gemstones in his pockets. "He'd wrap up diamonds in paper and put them in his pocket -- often worth $30,000 or more -- and travel through the streets," the son said.
Mr. Barber was born and reared on Fulton Avenue in Baltimore and attended city schools.
His son said that Mr. Barber, at the age of 15, "lied about his age and ran away and joined the merchant marine."
Mr. Barber left the merchant marine in 1939 and joined the Navy in 1940. During World War II, he was a gunner's mate aboard the destroyer USS Beal in the Pacific. After the war, he joined the Naval Reserve and was discharged from active duty in 1953.
"He was very patriotic and when he went into the hospital the last time, he noticed from his hospital window a torn flag and asked the hospital authorities to replace it and they did," his son said.
Locally, Mr. Barber was a member of the Hiram Temple Grand Masonic Lodge of Baltimore, Baltimore Forest No. 45 of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4143 and Mount Olive United Methodist Church.
In Florida, he was a member of the Amara Shrine Temple of Palm Beach Gardens, the Jupiter Light Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and attended the First Baptist Church of Lake Park.
A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m Dec. 13 at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 E. Padonia Road, Timonium.
Other survivors include his wife of 52 years, the former Harriet V. Moffet; a brother, Harold B. Barber of South Bethany, Del.; two sisters, MarCeilia Somerville of Gamber and Iris M. Mooney of Marco Island, Fla.; two grandsons; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Amara Shrine Crippled Children's Transportation Fund, P.O. Box 30335, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33420.