Vito Barbara, 82; was fitness expert
HINGHAM -- Vito Barbara always asked his children: ''Did you get your exercise today?" Mr. Barbara died Jan. 21 from amyloidosis at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was 82.
Mr. Barbara was born and raised in Boston. He attended The English High School and graduated in 1941. He moved to South Boston when he was in his 20s and lived in Hingham for 31 years.
He was a fitness enthusiast, serving in the Navy during the 1940s as a fitness instructor and a lightweight boxer.
Mr. Barbara worked for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for 35 years, doing myriad jobs, including bus driver, trolley operator, and starter. When he retired in 1989, he was a vault agent. Mr. Barbara also served as an independent contractor for R.H Donnolly for 49 years.
''He worked two full-time jobs his entire life," said one of his daughters, Nancy Hanson of Hingham.
Mr. Barbara was a regular at L Street Bathhouse in South Boston. Having a competitive nature, he entered competitions at the gym such as push-ups, chin-ups, handball tournaments, and body-building. He won the title Mr. L Street in 1953. He was a member of the L Street Brownies, a group of swimmers who plunge into the icy ocean each New Year's Day.
Wanting to share his passion with others, Mr. Barbara taught weight lifting and fitness instruction to boys in South Boston during the '70s and '80s.
''He loved working with kids to teach them how to weight train. He loved teaching," said Hanson. Mr. Barbara also coached Little League.
Mr. Barbara, who had four hip replacement surgeries in the past 20 years, was so dedicated to fitness that it earned him a candidacy for the South Boston Sports Hall of Fame.
As part of his routine, Mr. Barbara walked a mile every day. When it was too cold outside, he would go to the local supermarket, throw bags of potatoes in his cart, and walk the aisles until he had met his goal, said his daughter.
Mr. Barbara loved sports, including the Red Sox.
''His whole mood was affected by how the Red Sox did," said Nancy. ''He was so excited to get to see the Red Sox win."
He was also an avid bridge player, and was a member of bridge clubs around the South Shore.
In addition to Hanson, Mr. Barbara leaves his wife, Dorothy (Harding) of Hingham; daughters Joanne of Brookline and Mary of Hingham; a son, Dominic, of Greenfield; and one grandson.
A funeral Mass will be said today at Saint Paul's Church in Hingham. Burial will be in Saint Paul's Cemetery.
Dr. John Moyer, 66, urologist
YARMOUTH PORT -- Dr. John Dirck Moyer was always on the go. ''As a physician, he took care of people and he just wanted to give back to the community," said his wife, Suzanne (Brock), of Yarmouth Port. Dr. Moyer, who practiced in Weymouth for many years, died Jan. 19 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. He was 66.
Born and raised in Powhattan, Kan., Dr. Moyer attended college and medical school at the University of Kansas. Dr. Moyer's academic achievements earned him memberships in Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha, an honor medical society.
After getting married, the couple moved to Boston in 1965, where Dr. Moyer completed his medical training at University Hospital. After moving his family to London, Dr. Moyer served as a urology resident at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.
In 1971, Dr. Moyer was commissioned by the Navy as a lieutenant commander, serving as assistant chief of urology at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital.
He moved back to his home state of Kansas in 1973 and served as chief of surgery at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka. In 1980, Dr. Moyer and his family returned to Boston, where he joined Old Colony Urology and joined the staff at South Shore Hospital. Dr. Moyer practiced in Weymouth until his retirement in 1995. After living in Hingham, Cohasset, and Boston, Dr. Moyer eventually retired to Yarmouth Port in 1998.
Dr. Moyer volunteered with groups throughout the area. He was active in Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod and the Samaritan Hotline, a suicide hot line.
Dr. Moyer was also a member of the Vestry at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, where he served as the head of Pastoral Care.
''He was a New York Times crossword puzzle junkie," said his wife. ''He would have competitions with his friends to see who could finish first."
Dr. Moyer also kept bees. He was a member of the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association.
Above all, reading was Dr. Moyer's biggest passion.
''He was a voracious reader. He loved to read. He has an enormous library," said Suzanne.
In addition to his wife, Dr. Moyer leaves his son, Michael, of Chicago; two daughters, Kendra Foley and Robin Chung of New York City; a sister, Sandra Snyder of Topeka, a brother, Jim, of Vancouver, and three grandchildren.
A service was held Jan. 25 at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church in Barnstable. Burial was in the Memorial Garden at Saint Mary's.
Complied by Amanda Carswell 
