Northpinellas: Teen had heart, was happy

Thomas Justin McPhee-Barry saw snow for the first time last year, on a ski trip to Salt Lake City. His uncle, a lifetime skier, gave him some pointers. Two hours after his first lesson, T.J. was the better skier.

"He was fearless," his uncle, Bruce Barry, said Monday. "He would take on any challenge."

T.J., a junior at East Lake High School, died after a car accident at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of East Lake Road and Lansbrook Parkway in Palm Harbor. He was 16.

He was a passenger in a 1998 Ford Mustang driven by his long-time friend and East Lake football teammate, Jeremy Eaton, 16, of Oldsmar. They were northbound on East Lake Road when they turned left onto Lansbrook Parkway into the path of a southbound 2004 Nissan Maxima driven by Robert Thurman, 24, of New Port Richey.

The two teens left McDonald's and may have been on their way to a park where they hang out, said T.J.'s uncle, Eric Carlson.

Jeremy, also an 11th-grader at East Lake High School and a defensive lineman on the football team, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center. He was listed in critical condition Sunday night but his condition was not released Monday.

Thurman was in stable condition at St. Joseph's Hospital on Monday. The extent of their injuries wasn't released.

A Clearwater native, T.J. grew up in Oldsmar, where his life revolved around football as a starting cornerback who also played quarterback. His team was the Atlanta Falcons. And he wanted to study sports medicine.

His family and coach called him an honor roll student, a good athlete and a leader.

"Whether it was with a little mischievous undertone or plain and simple happy, he always had a smile," said East Lake's football coach Bob Hudson.

Jeremy, who played youth football with T.J., had a "huge heart" and was in stable condition, Hudson said.

On their ski trip last year, T.J. and his Uncle Bruce rode a snowmobile. At one point they stopped on a mountain.

"Isn't it amazing, what God created, how beautiful it is?" Bruce Barry recalled T.J. saying.

T.J. is survived by his mother and stepfather, Rene and Bryan Barry, and his father, Thomas McPhee; two younger brothers, Tyler Barry, 7, and Peyton Barry, 2; a stepsister Brittney Barry, 18; and numerous grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Crisis counselors were at East Lake High School on Monday and a vigil was planned at the football field Monday night.

A public viewing will be held Thursday at Countryside Christian Center from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. with services to follow. Arrangements are being handled by Holloway Funeral Home in Oldsmar.

Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Tamara El-Khoury can be reached at 727 445-4181 or tel-khoury@sptimes.com.

Share your thoughts on this story

Read our guidelines for comments

Comments on this article

by Carisa	04/04/07 04:45 PM
i was tj's girlfriend. i will tell you right now that drinking had nothing to do with jeremy at all. jeremy had just gotten off work and he was completley sober. i believe it is very unfair to critize jeremy and tj if you know nothing about them!

by anony	03/22/07 07:56 AM
i second that of what ryan posted on 3/20/07 at 7:16

by anony	03/22/07 07:53 AM
who the hell are you to even be posting to this. you didnt know him, i did. i had classes with him. and i spoke with him hours before his death. you didnt and you dont no the displaced aggravation that we all feel for our friends untimely demise.

by anony	03/22/07 07:51 AM
hey carol, no, you get over yourself. hotel parties are for the kids that sneak to drink. if the parents were aware then it would be done at home. i have drank with countless parents of my friends. drinking wasnt even involved with teej and jeremy.

by Carol	03/21/07 07:51 AM
To:Anony What do you mean by "parents in our area"? Teens these days have a "hotel Party" now and then, so I asked my daughter to have her party at home/took keys/spoke to parents prior. Does that suprise you since I'm in P.Park? Get over yourself!!

by Crash	03/20/07 10:27 PM
I was at the scene of the accident during a church meeting with the young high school girls at our church. None of us knew TJ but we watched him get rushed to the hospital that night. He changed our lives without even knowing us. Rest in Peace.

by Brian E.	03/20/07 10:07 PM
Also, I have crossed that same intersection several times by foot, and cars whiz past red lights almost always. After what has happened, I feel that it would be in the best interest of everyone for a red-light runner camera to be installed.

by Brian E.	03/20/07 10:06 PM
It truly is a sad situation when a story like this becomes the local media obsession, which ultimately leads to more pain and grief than the victim's family has to cope with. Is it so hard to ask everyone to show just a little more consideration?

by Ann	03/20/07 09:52 PM
Don't always believe what you read, or hear on the news...these people do not know the true facts, nobody does. So instead focus on the loss of a human being, and the pain the family is enduring. May we all believe even more in God. RIP TJ, XXXOOO US

by ryan	03/20/07 07:16 PM
i was a really good friend of TJ, you guys dont know what your talkin about..... he wasnt drinking it wasnt his fault, he wasnt even driving, jeremy was...... sooo please stop with the false information... thank you

by Tuky	03/20/07 07:00 PM
We were always tucked in by eight (no drinking), which lead us to be healthy weathly and wise.

by TL	03/20/07 03:59 PM
Why can't people leave well enough alone. TJ is gone and pointing the finger isn't going to bring him back. Let these families deal with thier lose and TJ rest in peace. You were loved by many.

by Mark	03/20/07 03:58 PM
As a teenager, I'm offended that involvement with alcohol is assumed. Both boys were 16, meaning the driver had less than a year's experience on the road. Two kids=more distractions, and accidents happen to experienced drivers all the time.RIPTMCPHEE

by terry	03/20/07 03:45 PM
Isn't it comforting to know he is with the great creator .....blessing to the family

by Chris	03/20/07 11:39 AM
My deepest sympathy goes out to the families. I did not see anything listed in the article about drinking.

by Diane	03/20/07 10:12 AM
Meaning no disrespect, but were his organs donated? It just seems, after reading about him, that this would be something he would want done. He was a selfless, kind young man. I hope the family considered helping other families by donating.

by Mary	03/20/07 10:06 AM
The boys didn't do anything wrong,the teen driver wasn't drinking. If the man that hit them was drunk than he is the one responsible for the loss of this young man that was loved by many.So curfew or not it is the drunk drivers fault for his death!!!

by Catherine	03/20/07 09:55 AM
The traffic light was yellow and both drivers tried to beat the light. It was a tragic accident. The boys had been out with their football team. They had some type of event earlier and had gotten a bite to eat.

by Sue	03/20/07 09:00 AM
What were the boys doing out at that time? Don't they have curfew at 11:00 pm.?

by anony	03/20/07 08:46 AM
when parents in our area allow drinking they take keys away, preventing driving. jeremy hadn't been drinking. this is just unfortunate. it is when parents dont allow the drinking, when kids have to sneak around to drink, and end up driving drunk.

by Monica	03/20/07 08:43 AM
Drinking had no part in the accident with TJ and Jeremy the man that hit them was drunk, not the kids.

by Maureen	03/20/07 07:23 AM
I am disgusted that parents allow drinking. And please don't say you didn't know what a joke you should be ashamed of yourselves. Parents should start being arrested and maybe this would stop. How stupid are they?

by Bull	03/20/07 06:30 AM
The younger the victim the more tragic it is and the deeper the loss.

Obituary

Teen had heart, was happy