Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 9-21-18

Features
Young Tampa Man Dies Suddenly
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A young Tampa man died suddenly after an accidentally cutting his arm on a broken window last week. Mr. Michael Clarence Barb was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.
The accident took place during the early morning hours of September 12th, the day after Mr. Barb cele- brated his 41st birthday, his family said.
A native of Tampa, Mr. Barb was the son of Bishop W. C. and Mother Paulette Barb. He was the youngest of 3 children born to the couple.
He was a standout player who followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Mr. Willie Barb, and brother, Darrell Barb. His father said Mr. Barb played all po- sitions and was given the name of “Mr. Hustle.”
He grew up at the 26th Av- enue Church of Christ, where his father was the pastor. He accepted Christ at an early age and played the drums.
Mr. Barb attended the public schools of Hillsbor- ough County, including Bran- don High School. He earned his GED from the public school system and enrolled at Empire Beauty & Barber School, where he became a li- censed barber.
Mr. Barb entered the workforce as an employee of Kimmins Construction Com- pany. He later obtained em-
MICHAEL CLARENCE BARB 9/11/1977 --- 9/12/2018
ployment at Hillsborough Auto and Tire Shop. He formed a close friendship with his employer, Omar, as well as with his co-workers.
Known as “Slob” by his friends, Mr. Barb was raised in the Highland Pines com- munity. His niece, Ms. Keaira Mobley said, “He loved his family dearly and loved spending time with his friends.
“He loved to dress, he had his own style and he dared to be different. He would often say he was ‘Clean Dirty.’ He loved to sing and was just a respectful man,” she said.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Barb is survived by a sister, a brother, other family members and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Barb will be held on Satur- day, September 22nd. Har- mon’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrange- ments.
Former State Represenative Passes Bar, Plans To Move On
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
After graduating from high school, Ed Narain moved to Tampa to attend the Uni- versity of South Florida. His goal was to be- come an attorney.
Narain continued his education at St. Leo’s University, where he earned his Bache- lor’s Degree in Psychology. He also earned his Master of Business Administration as well. The next step was to enroll at Stetson Univer- sity, where his Juris Doctorate Degree was be- stowed upon him.
Recently, he completed another step to- ward his goal when he passed the Florida Bar Examination. His swearing in date has not been established yet.
This is a great accomplishment for Narain, who has served as a District 61 State Representative, representing residents in Hillsborough County.
“This is an exciting time for my family and once I’m sworn in, I plan to use my license to continue helping the community. I’m not sure of the exact direction God is leading me, but I know His faithfulness to us has been un- matched. It is important for everyone to know that any success I’ve achieved was not accom- plished alone nor without a few setbacks.
“The faith of family members, friends and community members has been vital to seeing us through. God is good! All glory belongs to Him!”
One of the setbacks Narain refers to took place the last time he took the bar exam. “I missed passing the Florida Bar by one and a half points ... 1.5! Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
ED NARAIN Prepares To Move On
“The news of that narrow miss hurt so much because it was a reminder of how far I had come, but also of how far I still had to go. In my mind, I felt like a very public failure and was frustrated with the latest “narrow miss” in my life.”
In 2016, Narain was a candidate in the State Senate race. Senator Darryl Rouson won the seat by 77 votes.
But, he didn’t give up and recently, Narain learned that he had passed the examination that he had taken in July.
Narain feels God wanted him to learn, “that we learn and grow from our failures as much as we do from our successes. Our suc- cesses do not define us. Nor do our failures. In- stead, as a good friend reminded me, we gain our strength from struggle,” he said.
Narain is married and the father of two.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018