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Barrie King Trebor-

MacConnell, 87

Barrie King Trebor-MacConnell, 87, of Coeur d’Alene, died June 10, 2017, at Hospice House of North Idaho after a prolonged bout with cancer and a short battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Barrie was born Nov. 22, 1929, in Flushing, N.Y., to Haynes and Mildred (Morse) Trebor. Haynes Trebor was born Robert Haines MacConnell, but always used the professional name Haynes Trebor (Trebor is Robert spelled backward) as an actor, editor and writer. Mildred Trebor also used the professional name during her long career as a costume designer on Broadway and in television. Barrie, and his brother, Robert, were given the professional name Trebor, and the family name MacConnell, hyphenated, at birth.

Raised in New York City, Barrie attended McBurney School where he lettered in five varsity sports, was the New York City Private Schools fencing champion in 1946, and had an invited tryout with the New York Yankees. He attended The University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., graduating with a degree in philosophy in January 1952. Later that year he enlisted in the United States Navy.

In 1953, he was ordered to Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and upon graduation was commissioned as an Ensign. He retired in 1973 with the rank of Commander. His military career included service in the Korean Conflict on board a minesweeper, during which time he was awarded the Navy’s highest decoration for non-combat heroism — the Navy and Marine Corps Medal — for diving into the ocean and rescuing a shipmate who had been swept overboard during the approach of a typhoon.

Other military assignments included sea duty on board diesel submarines; four tours in Vietnam; three tours in the Pentagon; two years with the North American Aerospace Defense Command — NORAD; and two years as Officer-in-Charge of the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor and media relations officer for the Manned Space Recovery Force, Pacific for Apollo Missions 7 through 13 while on the staff of the Commandant of the 14th Naval District/Hawaiian Sea Frontier.

On his third tour in Vietnam in 1966, Barrie met Alba Jeanne Denham. They were married in Reno, Nev., upon his return from Vietnam in August 1968. On retiring from the Navy, they lived in Everett, Wash., where he was harbor master and ferry captain for a small private community on Hat Island in Possession Sound.

In 1979, Barrie, Alba Jeanne and their two dachshunds sailed their 30-foot sloop “Wind Chime” to Hawaii, where they lived until 1991 when they returned to the Pacific Northwest to settle in Sandpoint, Idaho. They moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 1996. While in Hawaii, Barrie served as legislative aide to Hawaii State Senator Mary Jane McMurdo and as a consultant to the State departments of Defense and Transportation. He also was a newscaster and on-air personality with radio station KSSK AM/FM, Honolulu. He was elected to his Neighborhood Board three times, serving one term as its president. In 1989, he was appointed by the Governor of Hawaii to serve as a charter member of the Hawaii State Advisory Board on Veterans Services. He also found time to train for and run five Honolulu Marathons.

A member of MENSA, and an Eagle Scout, Barrie enjoyed theater, bowling, sailing, square dancing, history, politics and volunteering with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Kootenai Humane Society. He appeared on stage with the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre; Spokane InterPlayers Professional Theatre; Spokane Civic Theatre; Lake City Playhouse; North Idaho College; Valley Repertory Theatre; Spokane Children’s Theatre; Express Theatre Northwest; Performing Arts & Humanities of Sandpoint; Onyx Theatre Troupe; and with the Royal Fireworks Festival. He was featured in the SAG movie “Lies and Illusions,” starring Christian Slater, and the PBS Special “Upside Down Pangborn.” He worked as an extra in several films and the television series “Amazing Grace,” starring Patty Duke. He also appeared in several local television commercials and voiced many radio commercials. As a voice talent with North by Northwest Productions of Spokane, he was for three and a half years the radio and television voice of Ziggy’s.

Barrie was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert. He is survived by his wife, Alba Jeanne, at home; son Barrie Jr. and his wife, Sharon of St. Paul, Minn.; son Brian and his wife, Kandace of Las Vegas, Nev.; daughter Ginger of Largo, Fla.; grandchildren Desiree, Barrie III, Kristin, Briana and Jasmine; and great-grandchildren Nicholas, Zoey, Barrie IV and Lucius.

At his request, there will be no memorial service. Instead, he asked that those who wished to remember him do so in their prayers — and whenever enjoying a good stage production. His remains will be cremated and interred at the Valley of the Temples, overlooking Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

“Fear no more the heat o’ th’ sun

Nor the furious winter’s rages;

Thou thy worldly task hast done,

Home art gone and ta’en thy wages.

Golden lads and girls all must,

As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.”

Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene II