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<p><em>Barry Valdean Pittman</em> was born in Modesto, CA on October 26, 1948 to Charles Valdean and Dorothy Choat Pittman. After his parents divorced, he grew up in Yerington, NV, surrounded by his mother, siblings, and maternal grandparents. His grandfather worked as a supervisor at the Anaconda copper mine, and the family lived in company housing—a close‑knit environment that shaped Barry’s early years.</p>
<p>Barry graduated from Yerington High School, where he excelled academically and distinguished himself on the football, basketball, and baseball teams. During his junior year, he attended Boys State, where he first learned about West Point. Inspired, he applied and received an appointment from Senator Alan Bible of Nevada, joining the Class of 1970 on July 1, 1966.</p>
<p>Plebe year tested Barry in ways he never forgot. Math and German proved formidable obstacles, but those challenges forged the grit, humility, and perseverance that would define him. By First Class year, his hard work was recognized when he was named one of the most academically improved cadets in the Corps.</p>
<p>Barry’s sense of humor became one of his trademarks. He had a gift for cutting through the grayness of Gloom Period with a well‑timed joke or practical prank, and his laughter—unmistakable and infectious—lifted the spirits of those around him.</p>
<p>In the winter of 1969, Barry met Michelle, a freshman at Ladycliffe College. As classmate John Howell recalled: “They became inseparable, and it was obvious they were a perfect match. It was always pleasant and relaxing to spend time with Barry and Michelle, their personalities perfectly complementing each other.” The two became engaged in March 1970.</p>
<p>After graduation, Barry completed Airborne, Ranger, and the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK before reporting to his first duty station at Fort Lewis, WA. He and Michelle were married in August 1971.</p>
<p>In 1972, Barry’s battalion relocated back to Fort Sill. Barry and a very pregnant Michelle packed themselves, their dog, a footlocker, and a set of golf clubs into their little yellow MGB and drove through Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and finally Oklahoma, a trip Michelle remembers vividly. Their daughter, Amy, was born at Fort Sill in December 1972.</p>
<p>Just before Amy’s birth, Barry spoke with an Army judge advocate general officer and discovered a new calling. He applied for an unfunded program that allowed him to attend law school while deferring his remaining service obligation. Michelle agreed on one condition: The law school had to be in New York. Barry enrolled at Albany Law School.</p>
<p>In January 1977, he returned to active duty as chief of the Defense Office in the Staff Judge Advocate’s Office at Fort Ord, CA. Barry often joked that he became “the proverbial thorn in the side of the chain of command,” a role he embraced with characteristic candor and integrity.</p>
<p>Barry left active duty in August 1979 and settled with his family in Brightwaters, NY, on Long Island’s south shore. Their son, Barry, was born in 1983. Barry joined attorney William Ahearn’s solo practice in Kings Point before opening his own firm in 1989. He focused on litigation and plaintiff’s negligence, thriving in the courtroom. His work was marked by intelligence, integrity, and meticulous preparation.</p>
<p>Clients remembered him with gratitude and admiration, saying: “Barry took the time to explain the process… He was realistic about expectations and what the law allowed”; “Approachable, attentive, responsive, extremely knowledgeable, and dedicated to his clients’ needs”; “A bulldog when it comes down to the nitty gritty… my savior at a time I was ready to give up”; and “Fabulous.”</p>
<p>Barry also discovered a lifelong passion for sailing. After catching the sailing bug from Bill, he bought a 26‑foot Pearson named Irish Eyes and joined the South Bay Cruising Club. He raced from May through November each year, collecting trophies and friendships along the way. Barry and his brother‑in‑law Kevin co‑captained boats for many years in the Around Long Island Race—a demanding course from Staten Island, out into the Atlantic, around Montauk Point, and back through Long Island Sound. Sailing became central to his life, and he eventually served as Commodore of the South Bay Cruising Club.</p>
<p>Barry Pittman was a good man, a loyal friend, a devoted husband and father, and a proud representative of the Long Gray Line. His legacy endures in the courtroom, on the water, and in the countless lives he touched.</p>
<p>Let it be said: Well Done; Be Thou at Peace.</p>
<p><em>— Family and Classmates</em></p>
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