The obituary notice of Geoffrey John (John) BARLOW

Geoffers, you will be missed so much, by so many. The decades of Scouts that came and went, all of them having been inspired that adventures could be had.
The 100's of nights spent watching the fire under the moonlit sky. The miles we walked, through rivers and snow. The counties and countries we travelled.
And in the forty years I have had the pleasure of knowing you, we never ran out of things to talk about, and never the the same tale heard twice.
And yet I wish we could have had another forty years.
Safe travels.
Troop Dismissed.
'Dolph'

John was and is always near in my thoughts, a kind of reference point for really practical wisdom, good humour and philosophical insight. We would chat for hours about life, the universe and everything. He didn't suffer fools and had a hugely helpful way of diciphering sense from nonsense. He made me laugh endlessly, often until the sun came up, literally.
I think one of the things JB did for all of us as young people, was find the unique thing about each of our characters, and then find a way to encourage us in it. He did this knowingly and I think he spent time during his working days thinking about the specific ways he could say those words of encouragement week on week. Sometimes he'd say something completely out of the ordinary at a time which would appear oddly out of place, but I think it was because he had been processing the kind of things he would like to say, then just decided to say them before the opportunity slipped away. He wasn't afraid of what other people thought about his approach to life, his beliefs, or much else for that matter, but he cared deeply for those that were in his care. He was, in that sense a true leader, and he knew because of that, that he didn't need to waste time trying to be anything else, or appeal to what people thought he should be. He'll be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him, but he leaves a true legacy of goodness in his wake.
I already miss him incredibly and offer my deepest sympathies to his fantastic family who have been equally as hospitalitable with their time over the years.

What an absolutely amazing Gentleman.
John will be sadly missed by us all.
R I P John Barlow.
You are a Legend 🙏

I first met JB when I started on the Railway. He was introduced to me as "The Legend" i loved working with John. He would always make me laugh and the shift would pass quickly. As the years went on, he couldn't wait for my boys to be old enough to join the Scouts. They will forever have wonderful memories of Scout camps at Rowen, night hikes, swimming and hotdogs. John also gave me the most precious gift. He planned and executed his matchmaking skills and through him I found my soul mate. Martin or Dolph as everyone else calls him. Recently we started a small group and met up regularly. Together we spent time at the beach with BBQs, and our kids of all ages mixed and played together. John's skills were unique at bringing people together and I'm so happy we all got to have that precious time with him. John was a wonderful, hilarious, kind and caring man. To me he will always be The Legend
Nic x

A huge loss for the thousands of young people over the last 40 years for who John played a pivotal role in their lives. John was an absolute legend in every sense of the word and was a massive part of my life growing up, first in Scouts and then in Venture Scouts. He even stood in and did a off-the-cuff speech on behalf of my 'Best Man' when they were too nervous to do so at my wedding. I will miss him terribly and send Wendy, Dan, Scott and the family my sincere condolences and love. At least we still have the awesome memories of John and his sense of adventure to pass on to our children. Matt Podbury (AKA Pudsey).

John will be sadly missed by so many; he was a wonderful Scout leader to my son and his friends, who all remained friends with John long after they were too old for scouts.Sincere condolences to Wendy and all the family from Rod and Susan Jones (parents of Russell)