Barclay M. Laux, age 48, passed away Sunday, June 4, 2023, peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends, after his year-long battle with Glioblastoma.
Barclay had many hobbies, including playing ice hockey, bicycling, camping, cooking, smoking meats and making BBQ sauce, and being an overall handyman working on projects in his Man Cave.
Barclay loved his job, an Industrial and Production Print Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions, US. He worked in the printing industry right out of high school, working for Smith Printing, Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses, and Domino Amjet before going to KMBS in January 2017. He was often recognized by bosses and other executives for being able to solve any technology issue and going above and beyond. His work took him to Mexico, Europe, Canada, and all over the United States. Barclay’s customers loved him, and he became life-long friends with many of his co-workers.
Barclay was very involved in Dylan’s Boy Scout Troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster and loved helping the scouts with their projects. He was a merit badge counselor for cooking, camping, bicycling, and graphic arts. He was always building and purchasing things to better the troop’s equipment. Barclay introduced the troop’s popular and very successful annual homemade pizza fundraiser, where the scouts assemble and package hundreds of delicious pizzas in one afternoon. He went to almost every campout with the scouts, including week-long summer camps. The other leaders looked forward to the ‘leader snack box’ he provided at every campout!
He liked to keep active by riding his bicycle and playing ice hockey. He started playing hockey out of high school with his dad, eventually starting his own team in Kenosha. In 2001 he started playing at the Pettit Center in Milwaukee with his best friend, Alan. The hockey families became our families, and we looked forward to the game every weekend.
When Barclay wasn’t working, doing things with the scouts, or playing hockey, he was in his Man Cave working on vehicles, building something, or cooking. He loved to cook meals for parties and even started catering for our neighbor’s summer parties with his pulled pork, brisket, and delicious sides. He started his own business of making his special recipe BBQ sauce – Smokin’ Sweet BBQ.
His kids are bowlers, and when Dylan joined the high school team last year, Barclay loved going to the bowling alley to watch. Again, those families became our families, and we looked forward to practices, Sunday matches, and weekend tournaments. Barclay perfected his Brandy Old Fashioned mix just for the bowling weekends.
When Barclay and Kelly were married on October 23, 2004, the pastor said, “Barclay can fix anything” and everyone in the congregation nodded, because it was true. He had a ‘can-do’ attitude and could be counted on to think outside the box when it came to ingenious solutions to sticky problems. His easy laugh and irrepressible good humor could always be relied on, and he wasn’t above practical jokes and heavy sarcasm (but always with kindness and never with malice). His kid-at-heart attitude was also seen when he proved he could still ride his unicycle while juggling with his cousin and other best friend, Jason.
Barclay was full of kindness: always ready to help a friend, fix Mom’s computer, work on a car with Dad and Andrew, or create a MacGyver solution to an impossible problem….and provide a laugh while doing it all. He loved diet Dr. Pepper, Lays potato chips, Wheel of Fortune (Not A Problem!), the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Milwaukee Brewers. He adored Kelly and his boys.
Barclay is survived by his wife of 18 years, Kelly; son, Dylan; stepson, Andrew Fairchild; parents, Jerry and Shirley Laux; sister, Kim (Aaron) Wagner; nephew, Reed; and nieces, Brooke and Paige. Also survived by his mother-in-law Marianne Frei, and brothers-in-law Ryan and Kevin. He is further survived by his paternal grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their children.
He was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Craig, maternal grandparents, and paternal grandfather.
Barclay will never be forgotten because he was so well loved.
We also want to extend great gratitude to the Froedtert South Cancer Center team – Dr. Knight and Dr. Khater and their staff; Katie, Megan, Tammy, Lisa, Jasmine, and all the girls in the Infusion lab. Also, for Horizon Home Care and Hospice staff; Barclay was kept safe and comfortable because of all of you. We appreciate all you did for our family.
Also, to Dr. Santos, his neurosurgeon, for helping us navigate through this.
Extra special thanks to Dr. Neil Shepler and his staff at the Froedtert South Clinic – you have been our family doctor for years, and even in the last year when you had to give us the worst news, there were always jokes told by you and Barclay to keep the mood light. We will never forget that.
Services for Barclay were held privately, but please join us for his Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 9th, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm at the Moose Lodge, 3003 30th Ave, Kenosha, WI.
