Barry Dobbs, industry veteran and president of supplier Z Marketing Group, passed away on December 7 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He was 69.

Born in the UK, Dobbs came to the U.S. in the 1980s to develop a candy apple business, a field he had been successful with back at home. After a factory fire pushed him into sales, Dobbs joined the promotional products industry with Brown & Bigelow. Finding his calling in sales management, he grew a successful sales force there and later at Geiger.

Dobbs met Mary Kilburn in 1992 when he acquired her sales force to merge with his regional group at Geiger. Two years later, they formed The Marketeers traveling roadshow, representing suppliers to distributor companies in the Western U.S. They were married in March 1996.

They later settled in Colorado and launched the supplier Z Marketing Group. He also founded a small catering business, Z’vents.

Dobbs is survived by his wife Mary, daughters, Katy Lawrence, and Rebecca Cushing, along with her husband Andrew; and grandchildren Alex, Anna, Elise and Caitlin.