Douglas Robert Barber

     Douglas Robert Barber was born on 28 February 1923 at Brighton, Sussex, England.¹ He was the son of Leslie Robert William Barber and Victoria May Griffiths.
He never married. Freda Barber (wife of Bob's brother Ron) said that Bob was chronically shy and in the early years of her marriage would be uncomfortable left alone in the room with her.
During WW2 he served as a Trooper with the 17^th/21^st Lancers (service no 7958232) from June 1945 to 16^th August 1946. It is not known if he had any service prior to this.
Douglas Robert Barber was a bus conductor then later a cashier with the Brighton Borough Transport bus company.
Bob lived with his parents all his life and was left living alone at 255 Freshfield Rd when his mother went to live at St Anne’s Rest Home. He lived there until he died while playing the poker machines at bingo, his favourite pastime. He collapsed and died at 9:30pm at the Gala Theatre (used to be the Astoria) in Brighton in the company of his friend and neighbour Ruby Commons. Ruby phoned us at 5:00am Perth time and by 6:00pm that day Tony and Geoff Barber were flying to England to arrange his funeral and settle his affairs. Bob was cremated at Downs Crematorium and we held a get-together afterwards at the Freshfield Inn in Freshfield Rd for his neighbours & friends. Bob is the only member of the family to have visited Australia (three times). This was really the passing of an era as Bob was the last Barber of our family to live in Brighton. He was a gentle and thoughtful man.
Douglas Robert Barber died on 21 October 1995 at Brighton, Sussex, England, at age 72.²
His body was cremated on 27 October 1995 at Downs Crematorium, Brighton, Sussex, England.