RACECOURSE CHIEF BARRY DEAD AT 54
Tributes paid to ‘charismatic’ director
TRIBUTES have been paid to racecourse chief Barry Macdonald after he died suddenly at Amsterdam Airport.
The businessman was on his way home to Ayr with his wife Gillian after a “second honeymoon” in the Maldives when he took ill.
Barry was described by family and friends as “charismatic”, “full of life”, “good company” and a “true character”.
His dad Alan said: “Barry was totally reliable. When he said he’d do something, you knew it would be done.”
Barry, who was 54, is survived by his wife, son Adam, daughters Verity and Amber and his mum and dad Camille and Alan.
Verity spoke of her dad’s love of barbecues, saying: “Even in December he would think nothing of going out into the garden and preparing a barbecue with his flip flops on.”
Barry was a director of Ayr Racecourse and also owned and bred horses.
Among the tributes paid to Barry was one from his friend Scott Roberts, who told our sister paper the Ayrshire Post: “Barry was like a brother to me.
“He even accompanied me on my first date with my now wife Helen in 1988.
“I was best man at his wedding and he was best man at mine.
“He had no idea what a doorbell was. We had to remind him often he didn’t live at our house as he just bowled into the kitchen.
“They broke the mould when they made Barry. He has left an unfillable hole in my life and I will miss him always.”
Another friend, Richard Johnson, said: “His passion for racing made him a valued member of the board of directors at Ayr Racecourse and he contributed greatly to its success.”