Barry G. Balala, 54, of Midland Park, NJ, passed away unexpectantly on January 13, 2022 after a short battle with cancer.
He was born in Hackensack, NJ on March 8, 1967, son of Louis R. Balala and Lois Balala. He is survived by his spouse, Cathy (Collette) and his daughters Rachael and Jessica Balala. He is also survived by his parents and his sister, Jill Balala. He is predeceased by his brother Louis N. Balala. He was a wonderful son and brother.
Barry graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1989 and worked with his father in his family used car business for many years. Soon after the business was sold, Barry went to work for a Honda dealership.
Barry always spoke fondly of his time renting houses with his friends down the Jersey shore in the summer and renting ski houses in the winter. It was on one of his ski weekends where he met his future wife Cathy. Barry spent much of the next 2 ½ years in his car driving from NJ to Long Island to see Cathy before they wed in July 1997.
During their 24 years of marriage, Barry and Cathy had two beautiful daughters - Rachael and Jessica. Barry enjoyed taking his daughters for boat rides and teaching them how to steer the boat, taking them to both Van Saun Park and the Bronx Zoo. Barry adored his girls and loved watching his children grow up into the strong, independent young women they have become. He enjoyed watching the girls play everything from basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. He learned to love each sport as he watched his daughters thrive. Barry was very proud of both his girls and their accomplishments. He was so proud of Rachael for attending the University of Tampa and was excited to see where Jessica would choose to go to college. Barry would brag about his two girls to anyone who would listen.
Barry appreciated the time spent with his friends and family. He especially enjoyed having family and friends to the house whether it be for a holiday, a party, or just to sit outside by the firepit. But what Barry enjoyed the most was the time he spent with his family. He couldn’t get enough of his wife and children. He loved to go for walks with his wife on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed his relaxation time at Brookside Lake.
Barry, beloved husband, father, brother, son, and friend will be terribly missed, but his memory will live on with us forever.
In lieu of flowers; memorial contributions may be made to, The Arthritis Foundation
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