Death Of Uncle-Turned-Dad Leaves Void In Beachwood Family's Lives

BEACHWOOD, NJ — Michael Barry was one of those people who always gave of himself, helping friends, taking care of family, making sure everyone was safe and secure.

That included his four children — children who weren't his by birth but to whom he became a father when they needed someone the most.

Barry "made the life-changing decision to adopt and raise our four cousins, children in desperate need of a safe and loving home," Barry's nephews and niece wrote on a GoFundMe campaign they set up to assist their cousins. "In doing so, he became their guiding light, their rock, their hero. He gave them the love and care they desperately needed."

Barry, 55, died Jan. 2 of complications from surgery, his sister Joyce Sadelski said in a phone interview. It was a shock to the entire family, she said.

It leaves his children, ages 21, 17, 14 and 12, without the father who put them first at every turn, Joyce said.

"He was just the most loving person," she said as she reminisced. "He sacrificed so much. He was selfless."

Mickey, who grew up in Old Bridge and moved to Beachwood five years ago, took in the children with his mother, Phyllis, more than 10 years ago, Joyce said, formally adopting them in 2016. But Mickey did more than just take care of the kids, she said.

"He always there supporting them for anything," Joyce said. While the kids were not into sports or activities much, Mickey showed up for presentations like the DARE graduations and other school events, she said.

"He worked tirelessly to provide for them, celebrated their successes, helped them through their failures, and supported them through life’s challenges," Adam, Jon and Emily Sadelski — Joyce's children — wrote. "Uncle Mickey didn’t just step into the role of a father— he embodied everything a father should be, pouring his soul into creating a better life for children who needed him most."

They would make family trips to Lake Wallenpaupack in the summers — Mickey and his kids, Joyce and her family, and their mother Phyllis — to get away and have fun.

"He was very big on family," Joyce said. "It was our favorite place to go."

When Phyllis's health began to fail due to dementia, Mickey took care of her as well, Joyce said. He had raised the kids by himself since Phyllis's death in September 2023.

"He managed it really, really well," she said, noting that Mickey was a warehouse manager for Holmdel Footwear in Marlboro. "Sometimes I wonder how he even did it."

The warehouse is where he met his fiance, Stacey. She called him "the love of my life who fixed my broken pieces."

His death, however, leaves an uncertain future for his children and "an immeasurable void in the lives of those he cared for so deeply," Joyce's children wrote.

"His four children are now fatherless, leaving them in the loving care of our family. In doing so, these selfless individuals have stepped forward to continue Uncle Mickey’s legacy," they wrote. "As a family, we are committed to ensuring his children have the stability, opportunities, and support that our uncle worked so hard to provide."

"Our uncle’s selflessness touched so many lives, and we hope to honor his memory by continuing what he started," they wrote.

"He was just an amazing person all the way around," Joyce said.

"Uncle Mickey (was) an extraordinary man," his nephews and niece wrote.

Those interested in contributing to the GoFundMe can donate here.