It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to inform everyone that our father passed away yesterday morning. As he had been for the last weeks of his life, Dad was surrounded by his family and loved ones during this final transition.
Dad's fight with cancer had been very long and arduous. I am relieved that he is now at peace and with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I wanted to extend our family's sincere gratitude for all of the words of support and encouragement that this community had provided during our time of need. There is no way for me to fully express how grateful we all are for the advice, insights, friendship and camaraderie that everyone here had shared with Dad and the rest of us.
Concerning the care that hospice had extended to my dad, I cannot praise it enough. The hospice nurses and CNA's were very responsive and caring, and did everything in their power to help manage Dad's pain and continuing decline. This was not easy, as Dad had expressed in the past, and as so many of you with similar experiences have seen. I do want to note that it is very important to not be shy about expressing your needs or concerns. Make sure that the appropriate information handoff occurs when new CNAs show up to assist (We had one instance where someone tried to help "position" Dad without first talking to us, which could have caused undo pain). Ask for additional instructions on medication preparation if you are not completely sure on the process (like crushing pills to make solutions). And most importantly, if you don't believe the current medication is sufficient for the intended effects, be firm with your request for changes or increases on the doses.
As heart wrenching as it has been knowing how short Dad's remaining time was with is, we will be forever thankful for being able to have this last bit of fellowship with him. Dad's sisters and mother were able to visit him during this last week. He was able to speak to each of his grandchildren one more time. Each of his sons were able to give dad final hugs and say goodbye. Mom was there to hold his hand at the end.
A few weeks ago, when Dad showed me this forum, I was impressed by how eloquently he had written. I started to read Dad's posts on his hospice journey (I believe he had already written 4 times by the time he shared this with me), and his descriptions on his current state helped me understand some of his more immediate needs and recent issues. I then read further through Dad's previous posts and comments, and to be honest, I am ashamed I did not fully understand the extent to which Dad has fought his cancer. Throughout all of his time, all of his treatments, Dad always put other's needs before his own. Likely, he did not want to burden me with his worries, and I can appreciate that. But if I can give anyone here any advice, it would be to not be afraid to communicate your needs or troubles to your loved ones.
Dad was deeply caring, and I believe that sense of duty to protect us is what kept him from letting go when it would have been easier.
Thank you again to the whole community here. Stay strong in your fights. Our family will continue to pray for you all, and we ask that you do the same for us.
-Barringer Family
Written by
JimBarringer
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Dale, I am so sorry. Your father was and is a hero to me. His fight and compassion and love. I hope that you can find solace in the fact that he helped so many. Take care and much love to you all.
Dale- so so sorry for your loss! So happy to hear your dad was surrounded by love! Thank you for sharing so candidly as you did.. prayers out to your family. ❤️🩹
I, with you, mourn his irreplaceable loss. God's gain is our loss, at least for now. I have loved his posts, and yours. I will treasure them and show them to other men in the final phase of their journey. It seems that one of the gifts he gave you is the strength of your faith. Some people, without faith, have a harder time coping with what they might perceive as the meaninglessness of their death, and perhaps their life. You, at least, have that strong faith to hold onto. I take comfort from scripture: "Love is stronger than death." (Song of Songs 8:6)
Thank you TA for your heartfelt post. As his sister, I find so much comfort knowing that his journey has been an inspiration to so many in this beautiful community. Knowing that his earthly tent is destroyed and he is in his heavenly dwelling with our Lord gives me the peace that only comes from knowing and having faith in my Savior, Jesus. I will continue to pray for those battling this cancer journey for healing, comfort and peace. God Bless all. ❤️
Thank you for keeping the group updated and providing such frank and helpful advice. Many find it hard to communicate their feelings and pain and Jim and his sons did a wonderful job. You can tell you are a tight family as the narrative flowed so well between authors. May your days be filled with wonderful memories and stories. (Note to Jim's sons keep vigilant with prostate monitoring). God's Speed.
Dale, I am so sorry for your family's loss. Jim's teachings were such a gift that we all learned from. He must have been such a wonderful and giving man. I'm not surprised that you weren't fully aware of what he was going through at times. I think that is what a loving father does, which is to protect his children from his suffering.
Hi Dale. Thank you for letting us know. Reading your dad's posts, although I never met him, has been a rather deep experience each time. He had quite a journey. Peace to you all.
Hello Dale, Once again I am writing with a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. In recent weeks, our Health Unlocked group has lost two of its finest warriors: John Gamble (aka Great John) and now your dad. It is a wake-up call for everyone on the HU forum as it shows, once again, how deadly this damn disease can be. May all the memories of your father bring solace to you and your family during this very dark time. I hope the moments you shared with your dad before he passed away bring you great strength. Remember, there is no hurting, no suffering and no pain in Heaven. Be comforted by the fact that your dad is now in a better place. My sincere condolences.
Thanks so much for your post. It is truly heartfelt and helpful to many of our fellow warriors on this forum.
You definitely have nothing to be ashamed of. You were there for your father and your words have showed us how much you loved and supported him. He was a lucky man to have such a wonderful family.
Please accept my heartfelt sympathies for the loss of your father and I extend loving condolences to your brothers, mother, and family as well.
Such a significant loss to those still here on earth. What a treasured gift heaven has gained. It has been such an honor to follow Jim’s story and to bear witness to the incredible bond and faith your family has.
I remain in awe over a battle fiercely fought, but done so with such dignity and grace. With every chronicle, Jim touched my life. He inspired bravery, strength, courage, and the power of believing. For Jim, there is no doubt this wasn’t an ending, but instead a beautiful new beginning.
Nonetheless, I’m so very sorry for your profoundly heartbreaking loss
Sending prayers and thoughts of peace, solace and love.
Hi Dale, Your Dad selflessly gave so much to Me and I am sure many others in this forum, By sharing his battle and time in hospice he helped me to prepared for the end regardless when it comes. I only hope I can have as much grace and humor as your Dad as I continue on my journey. You and your family are in my prayers. I hope you find peace knowing your Dad is with our lord. Thank you For sharing.
Please accept my deepest sympathy for the loss of your beloved father. He gave so much of himself to this group and to me. May he rest in peace in God's heaven.
Farewell Jim Barringer , Rest In Peace in heaven brother. Jim was caring and gracious enough to allow all of us to accompany him through his hospice experience, detail by detail , so that all could have a better comprehension of what hospice could be like for the rest of us. It’s something coming for a lot of us and something that we know very little about , especially in this kind of detail. We’ll all be different but I’m very grateful for his generosity. Just amazing , but very poignant. Thank you too Dale for keeping the posts coming when Jim was unable, thanks to the whole family for sharing the experience publicly in such a personal and painful time. I truly believe your sharing has been very beneficial for the rest of us guys on the group following behind Jim. I know it has been for me.
My heartfelt thanks ( crying now as this seems very personal, to me ) and gratitude to Jim , Dale and the whole family there. I hope your pain of loss turns to sunny warm sunrises very soon, ….. this as the world starts dawning a new day and new era for all of you.
Dale and family, so sorry for your loss. Your dad was very open and honest in his journey, helping so many here on this forum. Rest In Peace Jim, prayers and peace to you all.
You and Jim have really blessed us, Jim with his narrative, you with the context. Life is a performing art, and you have shown us so many levels of depth in his and now your life story. Thank you for that. My heart goes out to you and your family. We never know when we're really making a contribution to the "human condition". Jim was astounding to his last second. Hearing your words makes his "songline" with this website extend well past his physical existence. All of us who read his narratives got a good sense of who he was, who he loved, who he was surrounded with when he passed. Thank you.
Thank you for letting us know. You clearly have a beautiful, supportive and loving family. I am so sorry Jim had to go through this. My condolences to your family.
It's always so hard to read the loss of one of our brothers. I appreciated your dad's honest and raw and sometimes funny but always bright posts. He would share things that would never have occurred to me to ask. I know he struggled toward the end and to have his family step up and finish his thoughts for him on this site was so appreciated by us. Thank you for letting us know of his passing and the release of his pain. This was a hard post for you to write. God bless all of you and provide comfort and strength. What a beautiful family you are. I'm sure your dad is smiling down on you and full of pride and love for you. You will feel his warmth often.
Thank you Dale . Condolences to the family . Like father , like sons . Males must now check their Psa at 40 even with hopefully no symptoms .Please promise yourself to do so? My dad had this also . I never checked until 53 and near death . His children are one tribute to a great man . Live healthy and enjoy life . No more suffering is mercy ! God Bless! 🙏💔😢.
Dale, thank you for sharing our goodbyes about your dad, my brother. What a treasured gift it was to be able to love on my brother and let him know one more time what an honorable and courageous man he is/was. In those moments of lucidity it warmed my heart to speak about our eternal time together that we will have in heaven. I will always cherish what touched my heart the most, the tender and loving care each one of my precious nephews gave their dad. Jimmy, Dale, Chris and Ben. Your dad and my beloved, sister-in-law, Geri have raised amazing young men. It was truly a gift to see your dad in each one of you. You all have unique gifts and strengths that were needed during this time. You all put aside your daily lives to focus on being there for your dad and mom. As a family we will continue to be there for one another, it will just be a bit different by missing the strong, kind, caring, funny guy, I call my little brother (even though he towered over me. ). I am praying you keep your eyes on Jesus and are reminded of the eternal glory that awaits us. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 ~~~~Sweet Jim what has been revealed to you? Love, Auntie Cheryl
My deepest and warmest condolences he was a great figure of courage to all of us.At the the end of plight he is truly home with his happiness and a new beginning with our maker.To you Chris and your family you are god creation of true admiration and creation. God bless you
Dear James, You beat me to the punch......but remember you'll know me cause I'm the only one who called you James. Right now may you rest in peace in the hands of Jesus Christ. To Your dear Mom, to Geri your wonderful wife, your four beautiful sons, your great older brother and Sisters and to the entire Barringer clan I want to offer my sincerest condolences in your having to leave such a beautiful family in sorrow. You have also left all of our members with your wonderful spirit which will not be forgotten. My wish to the Barringer clan is to quote a Greek expression of condolences "Zoe se sas" which means "Life to the Living"...God Bless you all and of course to you James.
I believe to be loved and surrounded by family Is what we all hope for🙏 Your father had me in tears sometimes during his texts , he so wanted to help everyone here with his journey
I hate this C with all of me and every time
a family must watch their love one die, I hate it more!
My sincere condolences to you and your family at this sad time. You’re dad’s, and subsequently your, updates on the final phase of this disease have been very emotional but very informative. Thank you for sharing this most personal and painful experience. It demonstrated what a great human being your dad was. May he rest in peace.
Sorry for your loss, he is with God now free from pain and will one day see you all when you get to heaven, may God bless you and be with you now and forever.
What can I say other than what others have expressed so eloquently. Your dad’s efforts in his last days to help others as they plan for their own demise, was as selfless an act as I’ve ever seen. I got one am extremely grateful. His faith was an inspiration to do many of us.
God bless you all for what you have all been through, l thank goodness that he had such a lovely family. I am women fighting incurable ovarian cancer and find comfort and sadness sometimes what l read on the forum. We are all fighting the same battle with cancer , and l know a lot win the battle to which lm determined to do. Treatments are improving all the time and l domy best to support the research into curing cancer. I firmly believe that day will come soon
for us all. I send my condolences to you and your dear family for the love you all had for your very brave Father may he rest in peace. SheilaFxxx
Thank you Dale, I am very sorry for such a deep loss to your family. So many on here have written beautifully about him, it’s an honor just to be here at this sad time. May you keep him in your hearts and stay strong and loving in his honor.
I am so grateful to have known Jim and his supportive family through our site.He has been a beacon to me and lighting the way for all of us to better understand just how tough the end times will be. We can be better prepared because of his kindness to share his experiences with us.
He will remain in my thoughts forever.
You and your siblings learn and take proactive care of yourselves.
My deepest condolences to you and your family. Your Dad updates on his final days brought tears to my eyes. So strong, so brave, such a faith. He was such a compassionate giving person of himself. Jim you will be missed!!!! May God speed and may you Rest In Peace.
What a beautifully written and heartfelt tribute. Your dad was clearly a very special person and I am sure he was very proud of you and his family. May his memory be a blessing.
Hi Dale, I am incredibly sorry to read this news. Jim is at peace and free from the pain that he so eloquently described in his posts. Once he wrote from the hospice how he longed to go for a drive and how the pain made it difficult and later impossible. We all take so much for granted in life and we are in good health. All his posts were written from the heart and brought tears to eyes, but also prayers in my mind for him and you all. Sending your lovely family heartfelt condolences and love and light.🙏
Hello Dale, it was with an equally heavy heart that I read your post about the passing of your beloved father. What an exemplary family he had been able to raise to deserve such honours before his departure. No doubt our community will cherish his memories for his remarkable qualities. May he rest in eternal peace ! My heartfelt condolences to the Barringer family 🙏
Dale, my most heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to you and your family and Jim's loved ones who are now saddened by this loss. I am a newbie on this ride, but have learned a lot in a short period of time from others who so unselfishly share of themselves and their journey's, like your dad. I'm forever grateful having the fortune to have shared a step or two while on this journey with him. I'm sure I feel as others do like the world is just a bit colder today, knowing it's lost one of its warriors. Prayers and love to you and your family in your time of loss, condolences to all.
Dale so sorry about the passing of your Dad, he suffered fought for a long time and now is resting with our Lord in peace and without pain. I pray that you and your family can find solace in that.
As you can see, this group is so grateful for Jim's Caring and Sharing. We treasure his openness. As he helped us live with this disease, he will also help the many of us who will die from this disease. Our journeys will not be identical, but the road map of his journey is so very helpful. Blessings in your continued Love.
Look at all the love here for your Dad and your family. You all have touched and helped so many of us. Thank you so very much for making us part of your caring family. Condolences
Many many thanks for sharing the story of this fight. You have shone a light on the journey that we will travel on. Thank you again and l hope l have the same courage when my time arrives.
My deepest condolences to you and your family. Your dad sounded like a wonderful man. May you all remember him as the true patriarch that he is. Thanks to you, Steve and most importantly him for this glimpse into a very tough time. May gods love persist.
Dear Dale, Thank you for news of your father’s passing. And thank you for the lovely tribute you wrote. He fought the good fight with such grace. Moreover he shared his experiences with everyone here for us to learn by. He will certainly be remembered. Please take good care of yourselves. You have been through a lot too. Your love is proof of his.
I am so sorry. It is such a difficult journey. Sending good thoughts to you and your family.
Dale, your father’s willingness to share with us his experiences was so helpful. Your ability to pick up from him and continue really reflects the strength and love of your relationship. He seemed like a wonderful father, husband and overall human being. We can all wish to be a little more like him. Similar to you, I was with my mom during her last days in hospice. Your comments brought back many memories. In the days and then years following her death, I always found consolation in having been with her during her final days. I hope you find the same. My condolences to you and your family. Charline
Find solace in the fact that your father was a strong man who met each challenge of his disease with the best treatments available. Each time the disease surfaced he responded. He never gave up. When he had to, he accepted the inevitable that we all face. Reading your post, it is evident that he accepted the end of life with the same courage that he showed in fighting the disease.
If wealth is measured in family, then he was truly a wealthy man.
May you all find peace and comfort in reflecting on the life he lived and how he lived it.
Sorry for your loss. I prayed for Jim even though I only knew him from his inspiring words and a snapshot. I felt a a strange PC bond with him as he courageously shared his final days. If/when I reach the hospice stage I will reread Jim’s posts and I know they will help me cope. Thanks Jim and Rest In Peace.
Our deepest condolences to the family of Jim. Thank you for keeping us up-to-date these last 2 weeks. I can see that he was so loved by you all, which makes the waves of grief harder. 😪 Thankful that he shared his faith with us all and that he is no longer in pain and walking the streets of gold. (((Hugs)))
Jim is a great soul . He while in physical body tried to help fellow human beings till last few days of his life by sharing his experience of hospice. That clearly say high level of kindness and compassion he had for others. Now he is part of Universe /God and is in a place where there is no pain, no suffering, no misery, no agony......just a tranquil, peace and blissful merger with God.
Your father was a lucky man to have such a supportive and loving family. What more can one hope for than to be loved and remembered. May he rest in peace in the joy of the Lord.
Dale, so sorry for your loss. Jim was so helpful in sharing his experiences, his feelings and what his faith meant to him. May your memories bring you peace and comfort. Maureen
May you find strength in the memories of your father. He was courageous in his fight and selfless in sharing with us all. Deep condolences to you and your family. 🙏🏻
Please accept my heartfelt condolences to you and your family in your father’s home going. Dale, I’m sure your dad heard those words his spiritually reborn faith and his love of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ afforded him “ well done good and faithful servant”. Praying for the “peace that passes all understanding” for you and your entire family.
Even in the end, while enduring pain, he thought of others. His efforts were not wasted. I, and others so appreciate the knowledge he left. We have all lost a good man. Blessings to all of his family.
I am sorry for your loss. Your Dad taking the time to journal his experience for us despite his pain was a totally selfless act. Peace to you and your family.
Dear Mrs. Barringer and Dear Jim Barringer Family ... Hugs to all of you ... I am so sorry ... It is very hard when one you love has to leave you ... No more pain ... No more suffering ... Eternal peace that the world cannot give and eternal happiness ... One day you will be together again ... forever ... I will offer this Sunday's Mass for Jim and for all of you ... and ... I will continue to remember Jim in my prayers ... Nous
hi Brotherssister ... you're most welcome ... thank-you for taking the time out to thank me; especially with how you must be feeling ... i really admired your Dad and felt inspired by him ... what really made an impression on me was his selfless giving to help others on the path; eventhough he was suffering ... and ... his faith in God ... like your Dad, I'm Catholic ... today I offered my Sunday Mass for him and for all of you guys ... best wishes ... Nous
No more pain to carry, only the neverending respect and love of every single one of his family and friends until the day that he - and we all - will follow him. Too many of the best lost to PCa, but my gosh the legacy of character left by this cherished one. I am so sorry for your loss, Dale. RIP, Jim.
Deepest sympathies to you and your family, Dale. Your father left many gifts to this group behind. How wonderful for him that he could be surrounded with so much love at the end.
I followed your pops journey, I too am a oregonian and we spoke of that in previous posts, I am on the north coast. I was so impressed with his strength and Humor through it all. I think of him daily since his passing. So perhaps you never truly Parish. If your always remembered and thought of.
Dale, I am fairly new to this chat room, but your father's last postings really touched me. No matter how old we are, it’s never easy to lose a parent. My thoughts and prayers are with you as you grieve.
An amazing and most generous chronicle of the difficult journey we will all make some day. May your father, his friends and your entire family find the peace you all so richly deserve. God bless and keep you all.
To the admisister...it would be a great service if you take Jim and his son's posts, combine and make them easily accessible to all on HU going through end of life challenges. Their message transcends prostate cancer, IMHO.
In this forum, we have been so fortunate to have met Jim: his generosity, courage, grace in sharing details of his journey's end. What clarity and poignancy. Glad his loving family surrounded him with love and memories of better times.
Dale, I am sorry for your and your family's loss. His posts through his hospice journey will definitely help many of us on this forum. RIP Jim, you will be missed.
No, you dare not say. That is a completely inappropriate response to someone who is finding comfort from his faith during a time of suffering and grieving.
You need to learn when to comment and when to keep your mouth shut. This posting is one of those times to keep your mouth shut.
I am so very sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. I send my condolences and prayers to his wonderful, loving family. I learned so much from Jim’s posts and responses. He so generously shared information as well as personal experience, always in a kind, upbeat, faith-filled manner. His posts were invaluable to me in helping my father navigate this journey. Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. May God bless Jim, and all your family.
Our condolences to you and your family. Please know we deeply appreciate you and your family for continuing to post on behalf of your father. Although we did not personally know your father, we have been blessed by his journey. We praise God that your father is finally home. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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). I am praying you keep your eyes on Jesus and are reminded of the eternal glory that awaits us. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 ~~~~Sweet Jim what has been revealed to you? Love, Auntie Cheryl
What should I expect at the end?
Heading down hospice road too…
Another Fallen Brethren 
Update on my husband-Hankwhy(Mike)
My wonderful Father has left us 🍀
