From The Denver Post (Yesenia Robles):
Instead of roasting Chips Barry on Friday night at a farewell banquet, nearly a thousand people gathered to pay their last respects. The memorial event at the Wells Fargo Theater at the Colorado Convention Center was originally scheduled to celebrate and joke about Barry’s retirement, and many of the speakers had a head start on their speeches. Some admitted they were instructed by Barry on which stories to tell.
From the Denver Business Journal (Kathy Proctor):
During Barry’s tenure at Denver Water, the utility implemented a water conservation program, built a recycled water distribution system, invested millions of dollars in improvements at its treatment facilitieis, monitored recovery from devasting wildfires in the utility’s watershed and led the work to recover from one of the worst droughts in the state’s history.
On Friday, Barry was lauded for his humor, his golf and squash game, and the empathy he felt for the people he worked with and befriended.
Stories were told, including his idea for pushing water conservation by sitting on a new, low-flow toilet for newspaper and TV cameras. Laughter was shared over Barry’s ties, described as “so loud they could talk.” Proclamations in his honor came from Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.
More Denver Water coverage here.