When he was weighing the pros and cons of running for City Council in 2011, Buzzy Barton was inspired by the memory and legacy of his late mother, Virginia.
“I saw the positive effect my mother had on so many people over the years,” Barton said at the time. “She set the best example for me by dedicating her life to trying make sure others had equal opportunity to prosper. If I can accomplish one-tenth of what she did when it comes to helping others, I will have done well.”
Election results and his overwhelming popularity in Lynn and beyond would indicate he achieved that goal.
Gordon “Buzzy” Barton, lifelong Lynner, son of a civil rights icon, and arguably one of the most respected public officials ever in the City, died late Wednesday night at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston after a brief illness. He was a month shy of his 71st birthday.
A retired firefighter, Barton served as a city councilor at large since 2012. In six elections, he was victorious every time and topped the ticket three times. The sitting vice president of the council, he had pulled nomination papers to run for a seventh term this fall.
“I think I won because of the way I treat people,” Barton said after his first election. “My strength is interacting with people one on one. I’m not a computer guy. If someone calls me up, I answer their call or I go to their house and they can tell me what the problem is and I handle it.”
Barton worked as a Lynn firefighter from 1976-2004 and served as president of Local 739 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. He was named Firefighter of the Year in 1990, Union Man of the Year in 1991 and received the Box 41 Award in 1998. He chaired the City Council’s Public Safety subcommittee.
Barton was an active member of the Lynn Retirement Board since 2004. He also served on the Lynn Park Commission and EDIC/Lynn board of directors. His public service was inspired by his late mother, a tireless crusader for civil rights who was the co-founder of the Community Minority Cultural Center and president of the North Shore branch of the NAACP.
Born May 5, 1952 at the old Lynn Hospital, Barton grew up on Fayette Street, moved to Chestnut Street when he was 11 and lived on Brook Street at the time of his death. He attended Ingalls Elementary School and Eastern Junior High and graduated from Lynn English High School in 1972.
He played five varsity sports in one school year at English: soccer, football, basketball, baseball and track. He is in the English Hall of Fame.
Barton coached the varsity boys basketball team at Lynn English from 2006-11, winning the Northeastern Conference title every year and the 2009 Eastern Mass. Div. 1 championship. He also coached the English girls basketball team from 1994-98, winning multiple league titles.
In 2018 he was honored by the Agganis Foundation with the Paul Cavanagh Award, named for a fellow English grad and presented annually to someone who conveys Paul’s and the Foundation’s ideals of sportsmanship, education and community.
Barton celebrated 38 years of sobriety in September 2022.
Barton is survived by his sisters, Patricia Barton, Paulette Hartwell and Carol Brown; his cousins, the Kevin and Robin Bradley Family, including his niece, Rachael Randall, a nurse who oversaw his medical care; his foster son James Smith; grandnephew Alexander Barton Davis-Reddy; grandniece Aubrey Virginia Davis; his lady friend Evelyn Marcotte and her family; and many other nieces, nephews and close friends. He was also the brother of the late Roberta “Birdie” (Barton) Davis, Barbara Barton, Lori (Barton) Holiday and Donna Barton.
Arrangements are being handled by Solimine Funeral Homes and have not been finalized.
