Paul B. Barker

Paul B. Barker was born Sept. 9, 1928 to Paul W. and Mildred Barker in Lake Forest, Ill. The family home was in Lake Bluff, Ill.

He died May 29, 2015.

Paul attended Lake Forest High School, where he was all-conference quarterback for the LFH football team in 1944 and was president of the student council in 1945 and ’46.

His first two years of college were at Grinnell College, Iowa. He then transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., belonged to Kappa Sigma fraternity and graduated with a degree in business in 1951.

In 1951 Paul was then drafted into the Army. He spent two years with the 20th Engineering Brigade as a sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He met his wife Joan on a blind date in Columbia, Mo. Joan was attending Stephens College at the time. They married Sept. 14, 1952 and were most happily married for 63 years.

For many of Paul’s business years he was involved as a sales rep with a family business, The Barker Chemical Company in Chicago, Ill.

Foremost, Paul was a family man – taking the best care of his family and lovingly always putting them first.

In the year 2000 Paul and Joan retired and moved to Fountain Hills, making it their forever home.

They made many new friends here. Paul joined a tennis group, a golf group and played duplicate bridge at the Community Center. They became members of the Presbyterian Church.

Paul is preceded in death by two daughters, Jennifer and Sandra, and a sister, Marilyn Barker McCall. He leaves his wife Joan, daughter Laura Newhouse and grandson Joseph Newhouse.

May you rest in perfect peace dear husband, father and grandfather after a job well done! You’ll be forever with us in spirit. Joan, Laura, Joe.

There will be a memorial service for Paul at the Presbyterian Church on Fountain Hills Blvd. on Wednesday, June 24, at 10 a.m. A reception will be held at the church following the service, and all are welcome.