Mr Ward Barbee

We are extremely sorry to have to confirm reports of the death of Ward Barbee, publisher of Fresh Cup, the speciality coffee magazine.

Our friends at Fresh Cup tell us that Ward died while vacationing in Italy on Saturday. He was 68.

Before launching what was to become the major magazine of the speciality coffee world, Ward was himself in the catering profession, running a fine dining establishment. Although he was known in the coffee trade for his extrovert and good-natured personality, he was equally fond of getting away from business life by spending time peacefully fishing the rivers of his native Oregon.

We at Coffee House magazine were fortunate to meet Ward at several trade shows around the world. Although his status in publishing for the coffee trade was on a far higher scale than ours, he always greeted us with the utmost warmth and made time to talk about our mutual work. We valued and enjoyed the times spent with him.

A party to celebrate Ward's life will be held in Portland, Oregon. We cannot help thinking that he would have approved of such an idea!

Fresh Cup co-owner Jan Weigel and the magazine's staff have asked that in remembrance of him, donations might be made to AIDS charities.

- Trudi Roark and Ian Boughton
Boughton's Coffee House magazine.
www.coffee-house.org.uk