Robert R. Barker

Representative Robert Raymond Barker Robert R. Barker died of cancer on 28 March, 2006 at the Manchester VA Medical Center. He was born in Newton, MA, on 15 July 1930 to Paul V. Barker and Elsie Umpleby Barker. A lifelong outdoorsman, he was one of the youngest people (14 years old) to hike the Long Trail of Vermont alone. Barker graduated from Newton High School and moved with his parents and two brothers to Mont Vernon, NH while he attended the University of New Hampshire. He graduated with a BS degree in biology and forestry. He met his future wife Patricia Berry Barker there, and after they both had graduated and were married in 1953, he joined the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. Barker attended Cambridge University, UK (1955), the University of MA (1961), and Air University Command and Staff College, AL (1958 and 1961-62). He also attended the OSI Special Investigations Course (1959) and the Defense Intelligence College Post Graduate Course (1963-64) in Washington D.C. and the Marine Corps Airborne School (parachuting) in Hawaii (1966). He earned his private pilot license in 1968. Lt. Col Barker served in the Air Force for 22 years and earned the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, among others. In addition to a tour of duty in Vietnam, the Barkers were stationed in England, Japan, Korea, and Germany, triggering a lifelong love of foreign travel. Barker retired to Campton, NH where he and his wife built their home in 1986 and maintained their property as a tree farm. Barker was elected to the NH State Legislature for three terms, representing Campton, Rumney, Wentworth, Warren and Orford, where he was noted as a Fiscal Conservative. He was awarded the 1998 Taxpayer of the Year Award. He served on the Fish and Game Committee and was a tireless advocate for an armed citizenry. His hobbies included skiing, motorcycle riding, benchrest rifle, pistol, trap and skeet shotgun shooting. Both Barker and his wife shot competitively in the National Matches in the 1960s where Barker represented the USAF. He had numerous ranges on his property where his friends gathered for sporting clay shoots several times a month. The Barkers have one daughter, Dr. Crystal Lynn Barker Schaaf, a son-in-law, Richard Schaaf, and a granddaughter, Erica Skye Schaaf. Barker will be buried at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, Boscawen, NH with full military honors on Friday, 7 April, 2006 at 2PM. A memorial trap shoot and celebration will be held at the Pemigewasett Valley Fish and Game Club, Holderness, NH on Sunday 11 June, 2006. Memorial gifts may be made to the Quincy Bog Natural Area (P.O. Box 90, Rumney, NH 03266), to the Campton Historical Society (P.O. Box 160, Campton, NH 03223) and to the Ashland American Legion Post 15 (P.O. Box 423, Ashland, NH 03217). The Phaneuf Funeral Home and Crematorium, 243 Hanover Street, Manchester is handling arrangements. PHOTO WILL BE E-MAILED