Barry Hurley, PCB Designer and Porch Dawg Guitarist, Dies at 57

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Barry Hurley, a longtime PCB designer, instructor, and guitarist with the Porch Dawgs, passed away in Bonham, Texas on November 12. He was 57.

Barry Ennis Hurley spent decades in the PCB industry. He co-founded PCB Design Consultants in 1990 and later held various positions at DDI, Xetel, Design Solutions, Eagle Circuits, QFab, and Precision Technology.

Barry won the Top Gun design competition at PCB West, and was inducted into the Top Gun Hall of Fame in 1998. He went on to teach various PCB design courses at the PCB Design Conferences. 

He was also a serious guitar player and collector. I played with him at several of the Porch Dawgs shows, and he always surprised us with his latest fine guitar, usually a vintage Gibson or Fender. Once I asked him what he'd paid for a vintage sunburst Les Paul, and he said, "Do you want the real price, or what I told my wife?"

I last saw Barry at SMTAI in Ft. Worth a few years ago, and he was discussing his sales job at QFab. I asked if he missed being a PCB designer, and he said no.

"I'm changing people's lives," Barry said. "And my golf game has really improved!"

He was a good guy, and we'll all miss him.

Family visitation is 6-8 pm Friday, November 18, at Trinity Baptist Church, 219 W. Denison Ave., Bonham, Texas.  A celebration service will be held at 2 pm Saturday, November 19, at Trinity Baptist.