Gary L. Barker, devoted husband, father, brother, and friend was reunited with loved ones on the other side of the veil on April 30, 2018. He was born on July 25, 1941 to Leo and Grace Elaine Barker in Springville, UT. He lived his childhood in Springville and American Fork then moved to Layton, UT just before his teen years.
After graduating from Davis High School, Gary joined the US Air Force. He was a Radar Technician stationed in Biloxi, MS where he also served a Stake Mission, Glasgow, MT, and Matagorda Island Air Force Base, TX. After his military service he worked for the Federal Government for 42 years analyzing and negotiating contracts with companies all over the world.
He married K. Joyce Barker in the Salt Lake LDS temple on August 21, 1964. They built a house in Layton where they lived most of their married life aside from a few years in Denver, CO and Seattle, WA. They are the parents of three children, Michele Barker-Allred, Pamela Barker, and Brian G. (Audrie) Barker.
Travis, Xander, and Keira call him “Pappy” (Grandpa). He loved his family more than anything. He took his younger siblings on several of his dates and hardly ever left his kids with a babysitter.
He brought home souvenirs for family members each time he travelled. He made it a point to take his family on a vacation each year with many additional visits to family and friends that lived out of state. He had a soft spot in his heart for his nieces and nephews and enjoyed teaching them to chew on toothpicks before they were even teething and introducing them to jelly beans and ice cream.
He had nicknames for many of them as well. Gary enjoyed many sports throughout his life including high school football, church basketball and softball where he was their star pitcher, and golf. He went deer hunting and pheasant hunting for many years with his brothers, nephews, and children.
He assisted with coaching Pamela’s and Brian’s soccer teams and was each of his kid’s biggest cheerleader in whatever they pursued. He followed many sports on TV and came in third in the March Madness office pool this year. He is preceded in death by his cherished wife Joyce, parents Leo and Elaine, brothers Rick and Dennis Barker, son-in-law Gary Allred, and in-laws Harold and Doris Dawson, Kaye Barker, and Lowell and Joyce Dawson.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren, brother Jody (Carla) Barker, sister Diane (Tom) McCurdy, Rick’s wife Elaine (Mike) Pitts, other in-laws and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road, Layton, UT.
Friends may visit family Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the mortuary. Interment will be next to his wife, Joyce, in the Kaysville City Cemetery.
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