Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Mentor, and Retired Leader of DVIRC, Dies After a Life of Service
Barry W. Miller, former chief executive of the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC), has passed away. He leaves behind an organization built “brick by brick” and a legacy of kindness, mentorship, and love that will outlive him.
Barry devoted his life to strengthening American manufacturing. But those who knew him will remember most that he devoted his life to people. He cared deeply for those around him, colleagues, board members, manufacturers, friends, and above all, his family. He was more than a leader. He was a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a steady presence whose humility spoke louder than titles ever could.
Barry graduated from Blair Academy and Syracuse University. He began his career at Baldwin Hardware. In 1988, he joined a new organization then called the Industrial Resource Center. He worked alongside founders Joe Houldin and Ann Eichmann with little more than determination and vision.
Those early days were lean, dial-up modems, fax machines, and small budgets, but they became the foundation of something lasting. Barry often said life and work were built “brick by brick.” It was not a slogan. It was how he lived: patient, steady, certain.
Over 35 years, Barry helped grow DVIRC into a respected national leader. He brought the organization into the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, expanded programs that helped thousands of manufacturers, and forged partnerships that endure to this day. Yet colleagues will tell you it was never about programs or contracts. It was about how he carried himself.
“He was the steady drumbeat of our culture,” said his successor, Chris Scafario. “Without Barry, DVIRC would not be what it is today. Many of us would not have known the gift of his friendship, mentorship, and wisdom.”
Barry lived by five values: purpose, passion, persistence, perspective, and people. He respected others. He lifted them quietly. He sought no spotlight. He believed in progress, but never without compassion.
He retired in 2023, leaving DVIRC strong: a balance sheet in order, a culture alive with his example. His impact reaches far beyond the walls of the institution. It lives on in the careers he launched, the businesses he strengthened, and the friends who still measure themselves by his standard.
Above all, Barry was a family man. He shared a long and loving marriage with his wife, Amy. He was the proud father of his children and a devoted grandfather. His greatest joy came from the love and time he shared with them, which grounded and guided everything he accomplished.
Barry W. Miller is remembered as a leader, a mentor, and a man whose kindness and devotion to family left the world better than he found it. His memory will continue to guide all who knew and loved him.
