She recalled Barry working in the shed when she was a girl, before he moved his workshop into the spare room of their Southampton home and used the garage for his models.
“He was generous, kind and would talk to other people about their models more than his own.”
Barbara, from Hythe, added: “He was a hard taskmaster, he liked things to be done right and had a very particular eye for detail in every aspect.”
She said Barry would have liked to have joined the navy when he was young but his father wouldn’t allow him to. She believes his passion for ships was ignited by three of his uncles, who were all in the navy.
Barbara, 72, has already given away a lot of Barry’s models to his friends and colleagues and has donated other pieces to businesses and organisations, including an 8ft by 4ft scale model of Mulberry Harbours in Normandy – the harbour played a crucial role in the D-Day landings.
Barry was member of IPMS (International Plastic Modellers’ Society) Southampton and IPMS Romsey (Romsey Modellers) and would spend hours sharing his knowledge with members.
He regularly exhibited his models at shows, winning numerous prizes over the years, including 2013 IPMS Senior National Champion, the ultimate accolade for plastic model makers.
Nine of Barry’s ships and other models go to auction on 9 May with Elliott’s Auctioneers in Wimborne.
Auctioneer David Elliott said: “This collection is unique in its quality.
“Everything has been built from scratch over many years, with an extraordinary level of detail —right down to the interiors.”
Barbara added: “If I kept them all no-one would ever see the works of arts that he has created, they need to be with people that love them.
“It is not about the cash, they need to be loved and admired.
“Hopefully, his work will be on display somewhere in the world for many years to come.”