"I Am at Peace With My Fellow Men"
Robert Barlow Barker died in Salt Lake City at home with his family May 14, 2004 as a result of cancer.
He was born in Salt Lake City June 15, 1920. Robert is the son of Howard and Rae Barker, with whom he shared a long and warm relationship. He built a business partnership and genuine friendship with his father, and then continued that pattern with his own first son, Paul.
During his mortal life he was constantly learning, building, developing. He graduated from East High in 1939. Before the war, he attended the University of Utah, earned a degree in engineering, and served as student body president, a member of Beta Theta Pi and Owl and Key. He remained an active fan and supporter of the "U" all his life.
Then came the call to serve his country. But before shipping out, he was stationed briefly at Fort Meade, Maryland, a short stay that changed his life. On leave to New York City, he met Pat Pixton and began a 2 1/2-year correspondence with her. During World War II, he was a Captain in the U.S. Army Field Artillery and the Engin-eering Corps, serving first in Europe and then in the Pacific a true member of "The Greatest Generation." When he returned, he married Pat and, in quick succession, completed a second degree at the "U" (BFA in Architecture); opened a business with two partners, Howard Barker and Nels Clayton; welcomed children Meredith and Paul into the family; and served as the first bishop of the Rose Park First Ward.
In later years the pace changed slightly, but the achievements increased. Todd joined the family 10 years after the first two children, business boomed, and church callings multiplied. Robert was a beloved ecclesiastical leader and a prominent leader in the community and in his profession. He designed, supervised, and influenced many buildings in the Salt Lake area - The Church Genealogical Vaults; Cottonwood and LDS Hospitals; Cottonwood Elementary, Granite Park Junior High, and Kearns High School, to name a few. He served as president of the Salt Lake Big Cottonwood Stake. He felt especially blessed to serve for 25 years as a sealer, first in the Jordan River Temple, then in the Salt Lake Temple.
The last decades of his life were focused on development in southern Utah. He became deeply involved with the people he met there, and worked hard to create areas that would sustain and enhance the beauty of the area and the hopes of the residents. He was especially proud of the part he played in the creation of the Red Lands RV Park and the Green Spring Golf Course.
Robert's greatest accomplishment was his own character and his influence on the people he loved. He is genuinely honest, a man of integrity who matches the mountains in which he built the Church Vaults. He is a remarkable blend of strength, humility, and compassion. He recognized that he stood on the shoulders of giants. He is an eternal learner and a consummate teacher, a true builder of the bridges that bring people together and to God. He will undoubtedly put those gifts to good use in the new life he has entered.
Robert is survived by his wife, Pat; children, Meredith, Paul, and Todd; brother, Allan; 14 grandchildren; in-laws, Patty and Stephen, who are loved as his own; and innumerable friends whom he views as integral parts of his eternal family.
In these last few months, we've also deeply valued the relationships with oncologist Dr. Reilly and his staff.
Funeral services will be held at 12 noon Thursday, May 20, 2004 at the Cottonwood 14 th
Ward, 2080 East 5165 South. Friends and family are also invited to visit with Robert's immediate family at the same location Wednesday evening (May 19), 6-8 p.m. or Thursday morning 10-11:30 a.m. Interment will be at the Wasatch Lawn Cemetery.
For anyone who would like to commemorate Robert's mortal life, it is suggested that donations be made to the LDS Church Perpetual Education Fund.