6:48 p.m. EST, March 26, 2012| By David Damron, Orlando Sentinel
Robert J. "Bob" Chayne was longtime part of Orlando's restaurant scene as a partner in two local favorites, Barney's Bar-B-Q and Barney's Steak House.
Chayne, 83, died March 18 after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease.
The imprint Chayne left on friends and family, as well as his customers and employees, was that of a fun-loving, decent man, said his wife, Billie Chayne.
"He was probably the most honest person I've ever met," she said. "He was just an unbelievable boss, and … people who left to go work somewhere else [would] want to come back and work for him."
"He was a really nice guy," she said.
Chayne, born in Miami Beach in 1929, attended Florida State University before going on to serve in the Marines from 1951 to 1953. He arrived in Orlando in 1972 to partner with a childhood friend in the restaurant business, his wife said.
He was a part owner of Barney's Bar-B-Q on South Orange Avenue and of Barney's Steak House on East Colonial Drive, later renamed Barney's Steak & Seafood, she said.
In 1999, then-Orlando Sentinel restaurant critic Scott Joseph wrote this about the East Colonial steakhouse: "It's like stepping into the past, but the food is good, the servers are friendly and you get what you pay for. And it's still the best salad bar in the area."
Chayne also helped manage the Barney's Bar-B-Q that was on State Road 436 in Altamonte Springs, near the railroad tracks and County Road 427.
Billie Chayne said her husband was a stickler for fresh food and loved to try new recipes and ideas.
"Bob was such a great guy," Denise Young of Orlando wrote in an online guest-book message about Chayne. "Even better than that he was a wonderful boss. I spent almost every day for 20 years with him. … Bob will be missed by many."
Billie Chayne said her husband loved to have fun and made music a staple at the steakhouse. The couple, married more than 58 years, would often dance together there, she said. Her husband regularly booked the famous singing duo of Mark Wayne and Lorna Lambey at Barney's Steak House; Wayne recently passed away at the age of 82.
Chayne was active in various civic groups, including the former South Orlando Kiwanis Club, the Scottish American Society and the St. Andrew's Society, among others, his wife said.
Chayne also is survived by two daughters, Jeannine Chayne of Orlando and Lorraine Pierson of Cary, N.C.; his sister, Barbara Dorfman of Las Vegas, Nev.; several nieces and nephews; and two grandchildren.
Dove Funeral Home in Orlando is handling arrangements.
ddamron@tribune.com or 407-420-5311
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