Barrett McLeod Lightbourn of Bermuda; New Vernon, New Jersey; and Quogue died on July 19, 2018, of a metastatic brain tumor. He was 66.
Born in Paget, Bermuda, to Elizabeth and Roland (Mac) Lightbourn, Mr. Lightbourn was a 12th generation Bermudian. He attended Warwick Academy in Bermuda, and in the states The Hotchkiss School before going on to get a bachelor’s degree in architecture and master’s in mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
He earned his Registered Professional Engineering status in Bermuda and at the University of Vermont. His unbridled enthusiasm for engineering and his commitment to developing better systems of energy conservation kept him consistently ahead of the curve. He was a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers with LEED and BEEP certifications.
In Bermuda and the states, Mr. Lightbourn pioneered renewable energy systems at Island Solar, Bermuda Engineering Associates, Air Care, Global Crossing, Solar Center, Mid Atlantic Engineering and BeSolar. His energy analysis helped clients conserve energy and reduce cost.
As a child, his love of sailing started in Firefly dinghies, then 505s. Mr. Lightbourn was the first to bring a windsurfing rig to Bermuda, and was an Olympic campaigner for Bermuda in 1982 and 1983. He attended many European and North American championship regattas—including Kiel week in Germany and Finland—with Alex Outerbridge and Hubert Watlington, who ultimately went to the Olympics in 1984.
Over the years, Barbados, with its south shore combination of wind and waves, was the favored destination to visit with friends, family and lots of luggage. Friends remember him as a sneaky squash player who was able to hit the most incredible angles through extreme wrist bends. Golf, probably his favorite sport, was best loved on links style courses in Scotland, Ireland, England, the United States and at his home course, the Mid Ocean Club. The snottier the conditions, friends said, the better he played.
Mr. Lightbourn enjoyed watching sports as well, rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles and Flyers. Premier League football was another passion, always rooting for his beloved Tottenham Hotspurs.
An avid birder, he could often be found cleaning out the bluebird boxes on the Mid Ocean Club course to keep out the sparrows, mites and other scourges known to interfere with bluebird nesting. At home each spring there was always a birdhouse on the back deck, which again was barred to all sparrows—only the occasional bluebird or wren family was welcome.
Mr. Lightbourn was a member of the Mid Ocean Club and Coral Beach & Tennis Club in Bermuda; in the U.S. he was a member of the Quogue Field Club, the Quogue Beach Club, the Shinnecock Yacht Club, and the Chatham Club.
He is survived by his wife, Suzie; and his two daughters, Nelle and Alexa; his sister Lisa Greene and husband Danny, and nephew Jacob; and cousins, Kathy Watson and husband Rick, and George Aycrigg and wife Gloria.
A memorial service will be held August 9, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church in Paget, Bermuda, with a reception to follow on the sloop Spirit of Bermuda. Interment will be private. A celebration of Mr. Lightbourn’s life will take place at a later date in Quogue.
Memorial donations may be made to the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, bermudasloop.org; or P.A.L.S. Cancer Care in Bermuda, pals.bm.
on Oct 17, 2018