Jeff Barkley speaks at a fundraising event. Jeff's son, Trevor, was one of three junior Zelienople Volunteer Fire Department members who died when their vehicle plunged into a lake in 2010. Jeff, who was spearheading the effort to build a skate park honoring the boys, died in November.

ZELIENOPLE — The late Jeff Barkley spent the better part of the last nine years working to make his son's dream a reality.

That dream — a skate park in the borough — was a goal of Trevor Barkley, who in 2010 was a Seneca Valley student designing the park as his senior project.

He had been working on plans for the project on Jan. 27, 2010, before leaving home for a meeting at the Zelienople Volunteer Fire Department. The vehicle carrying him and two friends — Sam Bucci and Elijah Lunsford — slid off the road and plunged into a lake, killing all three students.

Through the grief, Jeff Barkley and community members rallied to keep the memory of the three boys, all avid BMX riders, alive through the Zelienople Memorial Skate Park. It became a passion project for many, particularly Jeff, who devoted his time and energy to finding grants and donations to build the park.

“He lived it,” said his wife, Amy Barkley. “It was so important to him, which made it so important to me.”

As the deadline for using grant funding nears and nearly a decade has passed, those closest to the project are finding themselves faced with another challenge. Jeff Barkley died in November, leaving a void his family and friends say, at times, feels insurmountable.

“No project, especially one with personal commitment, is done without someone taking the lead,” said Don Pepe, Zelienople borough manager. “Jeff was the guy who did that, and that sort of thing is lost. He was the guy. ... I will never ... appreciate somebody more when it comes to something like that.”

However, those involved with the project said they feel a renewed sense of urgency to complete it.

Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle