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Whenever someone would enter Robert Steven Barravechia’s Franklin Avenue home on Quiogue, they would need to navigate a maze of scuba diving gear in order to get past the threshold.“As soon as you went in, you’re tripping over all kinds of dive gear,” recalled Barry Lipsky of Bayport, president of the Long Island Divers Association and a longtime friend of Mr. Barravechia.
The two met thanks to their mutual love of diving, earning their master certification together in 2004.
That memory is now a bittersweet one for Mr. Lipsky, who kept in touch with his friend even after he relocated to Florida several years ago with his wife, Elise.
Mr. Barravechia died of an aneurysm on March 4. He was 68, according to Werner-Rothwell Funeral Home in Westhampton Beach, which handled the wake and funeral services.
“Diving is my world—I’m sure it was Bob’s world, too,” Mr. Lipsky said.
He explained that Mr. Barravechia, who worked at Stony Brook University Hospital as the director of patient transportation prior to his retirement, was instrumental in saving the remnants of the Old Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays. After both fishing piers were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, leaving a section of the northern pier disconnected from the land, Southampton Town officials originally intended to completely knock it down but reversed course after residents began pushing for its restoration.
“Bob would dive there on a regular basis,” Mr. Lipsky said while getting choked when discussing the efforts of his friend. “He was instrumental in explaining to others the significance of what was underwater. The ecosystem of what is under that bridge is so valuable.”
Mr. Barravechia was so fascinated by the various fish species, including striped bass, blackfish and the occasional shark and tropical fish, found near the remnants of the old wooden bridge that he would often take students from the New York Harbor School in Brooklyn diving there, Mr. Lipsky said. “He would always say, ‘It’s the best shore dive off of Long Island waters.’ Bob was a true dive instructor who believed our young generation should have the opportunity to see what lies beneath the sea.”
Dan Lane is another friend who met Mr. Barravechia approximately 15 years ago at Dogfish Scuba, a dive shop that operated in Westhampton before closing its doors. He estimated that Mr. Barravechia had been diving since the 1970s, and mentioned that for a brief period Mr. Barravechia was also into sailing. “He was passionate about whatever he did,” Mr. Lane noted.
When Mr. Barravechia wasn’t on or in the water, he was serving his community as a member of the Quogue Fire Department, according to Quogue Fire Department President Bruce Davidson. Serving more than 20 years in various positions at the fire department, including several years as chief, Mr. Barravechia often drove the fire truck, which Mr. Davidson noted is “the toughest job in the department.”
“[Mr. Barravechia] loved being a firefighter. He was very proud,” Mr. Davidson added.
Mr. Barravechia was also the founding officer of the East Quogue Fire Department Benevolent Association, which serves as a relief association for firefighters, providing emotional support, according to Mr. Davidson.
“When you have firefighters in need, you help,” he said. “He was a guy that would do anything asked of him and always did it with a smile.”
In addition to his wife, Mr. Barravechia is survived by two daughters, Katie, 34, and Christina, 33.
Attempts to contact his survivors were unsuccessful.
Mr. Barravechia was buried on Saturday at the Quogue Cemetery following funeral services at the Westhampton Presbyterian Church on Quiogue.
Valerie Gordon on Mar 19, 2018