Peaks & Pints to host celebration of life for Barry Williams July 8

On Tuesday, June 25, heartbreaking news quickly made its way around Tacoma and beyond that Barry Williams — a lifelong Tacoman, athlete, longtime wine steward, bartender, and youngest of five sons — had recently passed. Peaks & Pints will host a celebration of life for Barry Williams from 4-6 p.m. Monday, July 8. Proceeds will be donated to Barry’s family for funeral and memorial expenses.

Barry’s family requested a memorial be held at Peaks since Barry was our first employee, hired a year before we opened in November 2016. Barry enjoyed sharing his passion for wine, beer, and food with guests. His shifts were packed with industry friends and people he met through his lifelong adventures in Tacoma. He only wanted the best for his customers. He never missed a shift.

Barry was a treasure, and he influenced a generation of industry folks. It’s not a conspicuous lineage. It’s one that quietly lives today in the veins of the city’s watering holes: servers, bartenders, and owners. Barry spent three decades working at QFC Foods, allowing him to retire as a wine steward. But he didn’t retire. He grabbed shifts around the city, including a permanent Tuesday night shift at Peaks for nearly eight years. He had industry stories for days, often accompanied by a mic drop, that included hangs with winery and brewery celebrities, wine and beer whale bottles, and his beloved Oregon Brewers Festival, which he attended every year. Stories of his garden and high school sports conquests would often work into conversations.

Barry was a cherished member of his community, who had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the room, and will be remembered as a loving son, brother, father, husband, uncle, and a beloved friend.

“We will remember Barry for his kindness, sense of humor, and the constant joy he brought to those around him,” wrote Tacoma Mayor Victoria R. Woodards in an official recognition of Barry Williams. “The recognition is an opportunity to allow his legacy to continue to inspire us all.”

Please join Barry’s family from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, July 8 to share stories and photographs over appetizers, but everyone is also welcome to journal, drop off flowers, relax, and reminisce all day in Peaks’ Events Room. Peaks & Pints is at 3816 N. 26th St. in Tacoma’s Proctor District.