Throughout his life Robert Barksdale was a ball of light, a generous spirit, with an infectious energy that could light up a room when he walked in.
The 19-year-old sailor affectionately known as Robby also would go out of his way to try and lift others up, whether that meant helping a friend find direction and go to college, ing someone as they gave up drinking, or simply being the person who sees someone sitting alone at lunch and quickly hurries over to offer them company.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that even in death, Barksdale found a way to bring a little light and hope to others who were desperately in need, a choice he’s now being recognized for.
Barksdale will be a Rose Parade honoree after saving five lives as an organ donor and will be featured Saturday as part of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float dubbed “Courage to Hope.”
The float, which includes floral portraits of 35 organ donors from across the country and depicts the winged lion of Piazza San Marco, aims to highlight the courage of organ donors and their families, as well as to raise awareness about how impactful organ donation can be.
Barksdale, who served on the USS Bunker Hill homeported out of San Diego until his death in 2018, was chosen for the honor by Lifesharing, a San Diego nonprofit that coordinates organ donation in the region.
Robert Barksdale Sr., Robby’s father, said the family is touched that Robby is being honored for helping save lives. He hopes the float and his son’s life will also impart an impactful lesson to others.
“You can always give to others,” he said. “Even in death you can still give to others and help someone else keep living.”
A native of southern California, Robby Barksdale grew up in Riverside County and attended Roosevelt High School in Eastvale.
His mother, Shanteé Broussard, recalls that at a very young age Barksdale showed himself to be a bit of a prankster who loved to put a smile on people’s faces. He also had a generous and adventurous spirit and embraced that adage of “you only live once.”
In fact, the way he found his way to the Navy was partly influenced by that.
Broussard said that from the time he could talk until he was 15, her son’s dream was to become a veterinarian and go to Louisiana State University. He was an exceptional student and a gifted athlete, so that dream certainly seemed achievable.
However he changed his plan after he and a friend decided on a whim to try out for the water polo team. Though he played soccer, basketball, and baseball, water polo was unfamiliar terrain for Barksdale. Nevertheless he made the team.
As fate would have it that foray into water polo also caught the eye of Navy recruiters who had come to his school. They saw him carrying his gear and called him over.
Barksdale did additional research on his own, confirming his desire to serve. He told his parents that not only did he plan to the Navy, but one day he would become a Navy SEAL.
“When he started doing his research he found out they were the elite and best of the best,” Broussard said. “That was his mindset. If you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your ability.”
After graduation, Barksdale enlisted and was sent to boot camp in Illinois, where he trained as a damage controlman — a position on the ship that functions similar to a first responder trained in firefighting, ship stability and warfare defense.
After that he was assigned to the USS Bunker Hill, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser homeported in San Diego, which he arrived on in March 2018.
Although Barksdale liked the work, his parents say he found being assigned to a ship in southern California disappointing because he was hoping to be stationed somewhere like Japan or somewhere else he hadn’t been.
Still, he grew to enjoy his time in San Diego because of its proximity to family, and he loved his ship and fellow sailors, many of whom became dear friends.
Barksdale’s tenure in San Diego was cut short by a motorcycle accident in September 2018 that left him with a fatal brain injury.
When his parents were told he wouldn’t survive but could still save others as an organ donor, Broussard said, the family said yes because they thought it was in line with how their son had lived his life.
“I thought about the whole reason for him going to the military and serving his country,” Broussard said. “He wanted to help other people, and everyone who was there for him (at the hospital) told stories of how he helped them.”
“He always wanted people to live their best lives,” Robert Barksdale Sr. added.
With the green light, Lifesharing helped preserve Barksdale’s organs and found five matching recipients for his heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and pancreas.
All five of those individuals are still alive today, a small sample of the thousands of people each year who are given a second chance because of the generosity that families and individuals display — on some of their darkest days.
In 2020 alone, more than 40,000 organ transplants were performed nationwide, according to Donate Life. It was the eighth consecutive year that transplants in the U.S. reached record-setting numbers.
Currently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 106,000 individuals sit on waiting lists, including more than 20,000 Californians.
“It’s good that Robby is getting recognized for this and he’s being honored, but it’s also good for other people to know once you lose your loved ones, there can be so much more done,” Broussard said. “I hope some people who never thought about it … realize (here’s an) opportunity to save somebody’s life and give someone that gift. I just really hope it brings awareness to people.”
