Shylah Barich

Shylah Estelle Elizabeth Barich (20), passed away suddenly, tragically and unexpectedly on August 14th, 2026 while on vacation in North Carolina.

She was born July 15th, 2006 in Poughkeepsie, NY to Tara Brewer and Steven Barich. Shylah just turned 20 a month ago and was eagerly looking forward to studying parks and outdoor recreation at SUNY Delhi. She was kind, selfless, hilarious and incredibly talented. She was often sequestered away to her room for hours and would finally emerge with a nail set worthy of a red carpet appearance. Her attention to detail was astonishing. She was beautiful without it, but before going out or going to work she needed at least three hours and her 100 pound makeup bag to do her makeup. Of course it looked flawless every time. Her talent also showed in her photography. She had such a good eye for it, especially her nature shots. Sunsets and rainbows were her favorite to capture.

Shylah loved the outdoors and the mountains. One of her favorite things to do recently was go for sunset walks down by the lake. She wanted to travel state parks all across the country. Shy was most at peace on her walks and bike rides through the windy mountain roads, or sitting on a quiet beach under the stars. Shylah looked forward to her annual beach trip to North Carolina, a newer tradition that had become very near and dear to her heart.

Shylah had a passion for music and live shows and had the stacks of tickets, merch, CDs and vinyl records to show for it. She fearlessly marched into concert after concert alone for the love of it all. One of her most recent favorites was the Govball in NYC. She was randomly gifted VIP access by a brand and was able to see one of her favorite artists even closer. They couldn’t have chosen someone more deserving. She showed her creativity in curating her playlists; She had so many, it was almost its own language to her. Expressing her emotion through song choice was her go to.

If she wasn’t on a walk or at work, she was probably playing Fortnite, especially with the recent sprite season. Her and Faith had been playing, (probably a little too much) trying to collect all of the sprites before the season ends. She also had a knack for thrifting, and maybe a small obsession with squishies, fugglers and squismallows. (This tracks with her earlier childhood obsession with squinkies.)

Shylah was devoted to her friends and family, often putting their needs before her own. She was most proud to be a sister to Maximus. Every other thought in her head was for him. She worried about him constantly, always wanting the best for him. Shylah was also a loving aunt, always helping with her baby niece Amelia, who loves her just as much. She was hardworking and had profound empathy for people and animals alike. The world is dimmer without her sunshine in it.

Shylah leaves behind her parents Tara Brewer and Steven Barich, her brother Maximus Brewer, her sister Faith Gales, her brother-in-law Brady Gales, her niece Amelia Gales, her cat Kai, her step-sister Nicole and her children, her grandma Patricia Smith, and nana Rose Sutter, god parents Yolanta and Brian Gormanly, grandpa Larry and grandma Ginny, Heidi Lambert and Joe Garlepp, her good friends Cadence, Myleigh, Kelsy, Rita, Anna, Megan, Rachel, Destiny, and Michell. Kelli Longi, her sisters from other misters, Julianna, Lexi and Brittini, and their children, her step father Chris Brewer, and many more friends, family members and coworkers that will miss her sunshine forever.

A celebration of Shylah’s life will be held from 1-6PM on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the Delhi American Legion Hall, 43 Page Avenue, Delhi, NY 13753.

Please visit www.macarthrufh.com to share a condolence with Shylah’s family.