(Photo courtesy of QSL / The Blake by QSL Management)
Colleagues of senior living CEO Glenn Barclay are remembering him as a “compassionate” and “brilliant” leader. Barclay died Dec. 26 after being hit by a train while walking in Pensacola, FL. The Gulf Breeze, FL, resident was 55.
Barclay was CEO of QSL Management LLC, the senior living development and management company that operates 10 Blake senior living communities across Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia, and he was founder and a principal of parent company QSL LLC, which stands for quality senior living. He was responsible for program development and supervision of all aspects of operations for QSL facilities, according to the company.
Barclay had more than two decades of experience in the healthcare and senior living fields, QSL said. According to a company overview provided to McKnight’s Senior Living, Barclay’s difficulty in 2007 in finding senior living options for his mother-in-law, Bertile, “that provided the level of care and lifestyle he knew Bertile deserved” led to his co-founding of The Blake brand in 2008, “named in honor of his son Blake and his son’s loving relationship with his grandma Bertile.” Barclay’s mother-in-law became the company’s first resident.
Before forming the company to develop The Blake at Gulf Breeze, Barclay was director of operations for a national senior living organization “where he was directly responsible for the successful operations of 10 senior housing communities with over 700 units which generated total annual revenue of over $23 million and achieved a net operating income of over $7.6 million while increasing occupancy at distressed communities from 62 percent to 97+ percent,” according to QSL.
He also formerly served on the board of directors for the Florida Assisted Living Association.
“Glenn was a compassionate leader, devoted husband and father, faithful Christian and dear friend. As Co-founder of The Blake, Glenn was a brilliant business leader and selfless mentor to the many people who were blessed to work with him,” the company said in a statement shared with McKnight’s Senior Living. “He believed there was a better way to care for seniors, and he worked tirelessly to provide each resident with world-class care, exceptional service, and compassion. Our team members, residents, and families deeply mourn his loss. Now, more than ever, we are committed to carrying out Glenn’s mission to make joy a priority in senior living.”
Barclay, who grew up in Shreveport, LA, earned an undergraduate degree in finance at Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, and a Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Additionally, he was a registered nurse.
In addition to his son, Barclay is survived by his wife of 26 years, Jackie; parents, Glen and Bonnie; and two siblings, Darren and Tricia Barclay Norling.
A visitation and funeral service were held Dec. 31. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.
