Memories of John Barton Friends

In memory of

John Barton Friends

Deerfield, MA

April 26, 1963 - April 14, 2026

Apr 26, 1963 - Apr 14, 2026

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Please consider a donation to John's Legacy Fund for USASA Southern New England.

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Amy Friends

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Marcelo, Andrea, Pedro and Sara (John's Goddaughter)

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Amy Friends

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Amy Friends

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Please consider a donation to John's Legacy Fund for USASA Southern New England.

$2,300.00

of $10,000 goal

23 %

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Amy Friends

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Sodus Bay, New York, USA

John (center) with brothers Barry (right) and Todd (left)

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Amy Friends

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Chris Busch

I was lucky to connect with John as kids on skateboards. I always admired his ability to 'send it' so gracefully. One night, we were skating at the Empire State Plaza. It started to rain, so we decided to head to McDonalds at the bottom of State Street. John sent it, top to bottom, leaving wakes in the pooling water. We lost touch as time went by, but re-connected later in life on bikes. At that point, I admired the life he lived and man he had become. I will miss him very much.

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Amy Friends

Carolyn Wallace

Comments:

Carolyn Wallace

Full Circle Thanksgiving 2017 Full Circle Thanksgiving 2017 Full Circle Thanksgiving 2017

Chris Busch

2024, Mount Greylock, Adams, MA, USA

The Mount Greylock Go-Round

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Melissa Dickey

2023

Full Circle Graduation

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Sue Quillinan Boardman

Maryellen,

I am so sorry for your and your families loss.

Sue

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Nicole Cusano

Mary Ellen, Ellie, and Caleb, we are so sorry to hear of John’s passing. He was such a wonderful teacher and adventure role model for our children, and a thoughtful and kind friend to our family over these years. He will be missed. ❤️

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Rozaine Pires

Shared a heart

Adele Hill (Formerly St.Denis)

2018, Denver, CO, USA

USASA- November Summit — with Amy Navin/Adele Hill (Formerly St.Denis)

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Caleb Shulman

2019, Burls creek canada

Rolling Stones

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Comments:

Caleb Shulman

We desperately wanted to find Canadian hats at the merch tent at The Rolling Stones show and they didn’t ... Read more We desperately wanted to find Canadian hats at the merch tent at The Rolling Stones show and they didn’t have any. John, being... Read more We desperately wanted to find Canadian hats at the ... Read more

Caleb Shulman

We were also looking for The Rolling Stones tongue logo that is so famous with a Canadian maple leaf superimposed... Read more We were also looking for The Rolling Stones tongue logo that is so famous with a Canadian maple leaf superimposed over it which... Read more We were also looking for The Rolling Stones tongue ... Read more

Stephen Taft

2014, Brazil

World Cup and riding

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Comments:

Caleb Shulman

This was a typical adventure with John friends, john Taylor, and Steve Taft, except it was beyond typical!... Read more This was a typical adventure with John friends, john Taylor, and Steve Taft, except it was beyond typical! It was amazing to ... Read more This was a typical adventure with John friends, john... Read more

Amy Friends

Barry, Todd, and John

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Amy Friends

Always working on his bike!

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Amy Friends

zachary shulman

Glass Lake, NY

I guess it might be appropriate to let others know about Bula parties. First off, the Bula's were John, Caleb (my brother) and me. John came up with the name Bula sometime in the early 1990s because he found some colorful ski head bands that were made by a company named Bula, and the Bula logo was quite prominent. Anyway, if I am remembering correctly, John bought us all Bula bands, and the Bula tradition started. When we saw each other we used to say "Bula Maca", which in Fiji is an informal greeting.

Anyway, we started having annual parties at my parents' house on Glass Lake. The parties were a bit crazy and typically involved lots of our ski friends coming in from all over the country. This ski group was a mix of guys and gals and included a bunch of my brother's friends from Vail (they all worked there for a winter). Actually, the parties were borderline insane, but somehow my parents loved them and/or tolerated them. We were all in our 20s and things routinely got a little nuts. One time we had six big guys, including Bula John, barefooting at the same time behind John and Matt Petro's Ski-Tique. Crazy!

As we got older, we would continue to have those parties but less frequently! In fact, I am pretty sure that Mary Ellen (who was one of my best friends in middle and high school) met John at a Boston rendition of a Bula party. So, yes, 2 of my best friends growing up, who never met while we were young, ended up getting married!

Bula Maca, John.

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Kayla Shulman

Comments:

Caleb Shulman

After John found his After John found his After John found his

Caleb Shulman

Bula headbands and we were having the Bula parties, John lived with my brother Zach and I in Boston for a few months. We were reading the New York Times travel section, there was a writer who had gone to Fiji and talked about the warmth of the people there. That’s where we read excitedly that the word “Bula” meant something . It is a greeting in Fiji that means “hello”, “welcome”. When people say “Bula” in Fiji, they are wishing you good health and life. We also read the chief of a tribe does a ritual with people seated  around a circle where everyone has a shot of a drink made with Kava which comes from the root of a plant and is ground up and mixed with water. It is more of a sedative than an alcoholic drink. The chief shouts the word “Bula “, and claps once. The person drinks the Kava. Everyone shouts “Maca” which means “empty”, and claps 3 times. There weee many adventures with John as young men and older men and women,  where we could be found shouting , Bula, , downing some type of  liquid that was not Kava but was a sedative, and then shouting Maca  and clapping 3 times. This became part of who we were. And John and Mary Ellen had the word “Bula” inscribed in their wedding bands. We (meaning all of John’s family and my kids and Zach and his  kids have always greeted each other ever since with that greeting “Bula” and referred to John as “Big Bula”. We had to distinguish “Big Bulls” from little Bulas because the bulas kept multiplying  and how else would we be able to tell them apart from one another? When I texted my son Benjamin about John’s passing, he texted back, “Big Bula will be missed.”

Bula headbands and we were having the Bula parties, John lived with my brother Zach and I in Boston for a... Read more Bula headbands and we were having the Bula parties, John lived with my brother Zach and I in Boston for a few months. We were ... Read more Bula headbands and we were having the Bula parties,... Read more