His legend spreads far and wide. There’s the story about when he wrestled the bear. Or the many about how he actually got that silver tooth. And the one about how he was so close to making the Olympics, he could taste it.

But those who know him well know Ray Barron never set out for his legendary stories and booming voice to become an honored fixture in Colorado wrestling. He didn’t plan to need another room in his house for all the plaques, certificates, and special awards that would be bestowed upon him. He never dreamed he’d be inducted into halls of fame, be named the 5A Wrestling Coach of the Year, or even be honored with a scholarship fund in his name. That’s because it was never about him. It was always about his athletes.

No matter if it was wrestling—what he’s primarily known for—or football (he coached the 2009 Colorado State Champion 5A team) or track or even volleyball or gymnastics, Barron only wanted his athletes and students to reach their full potential. That could mean winning a title, and many did. Or it could mean overcoming a personal obstacle, achieving a personal best, finding love of a sport they’d never considered, or identifying their place on a team. Sometimes his influence meant beating personal demons or finding refuge from painful life experiences. Barron was always a champion for his athletes and students, hugging them in then end and providing a shoulder for tears, whether they came from achievement or disappointment.

Colorado wrestling was close to Barron’s heart. He wrestled for Hinkley High School and then for Colorado College, which became University of Northern Colorado. Barron began his wrestling coaching career at Fort Lupton High School, and he met his wife, Jane, there when her father was the doctor signing weight cards for Barron’s wrestlers. After marrying in 1974, they had a daughter, Jennifer, in 1976 and moved to Worland, Wyoming, where Barron coached football and wrestling and taught for four years. In 1979, son Luke was born, and the family made its way back to Colorado in 1980 for Barron to continue his Colorado coaching legacy at Heritage High School in Littleton. Luke wrestled in Heritage’s program from the time he was 4 years old and eventually became an assistant coach, and Jennifer served as a mat attendant for the team in high school. Jane was an ever-present mother figure to all the athletes and staunch support system for Barron.

In 2014, Barron retired from coaching but couldn’t stay gone long. After being convinced to help coach the track and football teams at Columbine, he joined the Columbine wrestling coaching staff as an assistant. The following year, Barron took over the program, growing it from a handful of wrestlers to a vibrant, talented, dedicated pool of athletes. Jane remained the vigilant supporter, and Luke became an assistant coach. Jennifer and her husband, Bryan, took on the youth wrestling program for the school where Barron’s grandsons Leo, Joe, and Calvin wrestle.

The 2019/2020 season was on track to be one of Barron’s and Columbine’s best, with two wrestlers ranked at the top of the heap in their weight classes and the team poised to dominate. On January 16, Barron and his wife made an emergency trip to the hospital for numbness in his face. Barron was convinced it was just lesions from past concussions, but the MRIs and doctors disagreed. After a biopsy, Barron was diagnosed with aggressive glioblastoma. They found three tumors, the largest being in his speech pathway.

Barron wouldn’t let chemotherapy and radiation stand in his way of being with his wrestlers the remainder of the season, and the state tournament proved to be like none other Barron had experienced. Coaches, referees, media, former athletes, and past students all came to his side to wish him their best, to share favorite memories, and to thank him for all he’d done for them. The energy was incredible, and it only continued to build when Jack Forbes triumphed for the 182-pound championship and Zach Schraeder took the heavyweight title and earned the 5A Outstanding Wrestler Award after pinning all his opponents. Barron never expected what came next: Being named the 5A Wrestling Coach of the Year.

On October 26, 2020, Barron’s journey with glioblastoma ended. But his legacy lives on in strength and honor.