Barber's wife loses battle with lung cancer

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Associated Press


PHILADELPHIA -- Jenny Barber, the wife of Philadelphia Flyers coach Bill Barber, died Saturday after an eight-month battle with lung cancer. She was 48.


Barber was behind the bench Saturday hours after his wife's death, at his family's request, coaching the Flyers to a 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.


"For my family's standpoint, Jen and my kids thought I should be here," Barber said after the game. "On top of that, I felt the same way for my players that I wanted to be here for them."


Jenny Barber died at their Cherry Hill, N.J., home. The couple was married for 28 years.


"It has been a tough time over the past few months," Bill Barber said. "With everything said and done, our family is very strong and we are very comfortable with today for my wife's situation.


"We lost a great lady -- a true wife, mother, and a lot of other qualities."


Flyers captain Keith Primeau, defenseman Luke Richardson, and a handful of other players were informed of Mrs. Barber's death right before the game.


"We can't even fathom or imagine the intense stress that that's got to cause," Primeau said. "I think his only release, other than his children being around, was coming to the rink.


"Billy Barber has two passions -- one is his family and the other is the Philadelphia Flyers."


Richardson said that Barber wanted his team to remain focused on the game.


"We put our best effort as we could in the game," said Richardson, who scored a goal Saturday. "After the game, we acknowledged Bill as a team, and he said that he and his family really appreciated our effort and support.


"She was a great lady. "She was like a mom to me when things were down here and I'll always remember that. She was always a positive person all the way through this."


In addition to her husband, Jenny Barber is survived by a daughter, Kerri, and a son, Brooks.



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