DAVE VAN NESS BARKER
1. CELEBRATE AND GIVE THANKS FOR A LIFE WELL-LIVED
If I had to come up with one word to describe Dave Barker it would be “passion.”
A. “Passion” has multiple meanings…and in one sense, the intense desire and enthusiasm for something….one can’t miss that Dave loved architecture. Like his wife, and best friend, Carlotta, he was an artist. He could see order in chaos…and work to bring what was in his mind’s eye into reality….in Dave’s case using the tools of math, engineering, and design. I remember my first visit to one of their restored historic structures that was also their home, on 25th street, and being shown a copy of the Galveston Architectural Guidebook by Ellen Beasly and Stephen Fox. The way they talked about the images in that book... It was apparent right away that Carlotta and Dave shared a passion for the beauty of Galveston. Throughout his career, Dave earned various recognitions and awards for his work, but the best testaments to his vision are the existing restored homes and the structures of his design.
B. Thinking about Dave, the idea of “vocation” comes to mind. Frederick Buechner defines vocation as the place God calls you to, where your deep gladness (read “passion”) meets the world’s deep hunger. Dave’s work was a vocation… having studied with Howard Brownstone, author of “The Galveston that Was,” Dave already had a heart for historical preservation when both his and Carlotta’s passions eventually led them to Galveston. This island was a fabulous place for an architect-artist team and a young family. What Dave continued to develop as his work happened to be sorely needed as the historical preservation movement really took off here. You are truly blessed when what you love to do is relevant, and needed, and you can see the results of it…and people enjoying and appreciate it.
C. Dave had the gift, as does Carlotta, of seeing the potential in things…. Seeing things that many people can’t. I understand that their first family home, not far from here on Sealy was a real “diamond in the rough” at first. We’re talking there were chickens and rabbits living in the kitchen! Involving their family home in the work, Dave and Carlotta were fully invested…they were all in…put their entire lives into the restoration of historic Galveston. They weren’t the only ones…but certainly on the vanguard…and today, those of us who reside and visit here, get to enjoy a Galveston where the aesthetics of the past have been brought to life.
D. OK, so enough about work…. We can only scratch the surface in this celebration
E. Dave had a life other than his day job…he had other passions that he enjoyed with his family and friends. Dave loved to play…he played card games with friends and board games with the kids, he watched the University of Houston Sports teams, and even TV games… he could answer all the questions on jeopardy! He loved to cook and entertain…the Dave and Carlotta team would not just make a dish….but a beautiful dish…aesthetics was always celebrated. But, I will hazard to suggest that most of all, Dave loved to play outside. Dave’s daughters all reminisce about sailing and water skiing. He loved to bike and walk… one aside: Alice Ann O’Donell, a retired family medicine physician who is widely known for her work with Galveston’s Featherfest and passion for the great diversity of birds on the Island…credits Dave and Carlotta with fueling her own passion…. her interest in birding really came alive when she purchased a guided bike tour of Galveston that Carlotta and Dave offered to lead as an auction item gift for a Trinity Episcopal School fundraiser. This is a great example of how your passion can touch the lives of others.
F. As you may have noticed, I've found it hard to talk just about Dave without also talking about Carlotta. These two were a team…they had a passion for one another. These two met at 14. Carlotta asked him to marry her at 16, and they married each other as 20-somethings. They did everything together… important decisions were worked out on their frequent walks. In some ways, like two peas in a pod…but each brought different gifts to the table which allowed them to do amazing things… like building their house in Lake McQueeney!
G. The girls, Vanessa, Danielle, and Joellan each commented on what Dave has passed on to them. Each of their personalities has been informed in different ways by their dad’s passions. Vanessa credits her love of architecture and old things, Danielle credits her devotion to Trinity Episcopal Church and the Galveston community, and Joellan credits her love of sports…football and basketball. All three girls were raised in a family that allowed their dreams and passions to develop uniquely. They have great memories of Dave’s strengths and even some areas where he was a little sketchy… it seems that automobile maintenance was not Dave’s passion, for example! Ice Cream is a repeated theme…but I just couldn't figure out how to include that in this sermon…. Well, there, I guess I did. Dave had a sweet tooth. His sense of humor showed…I loved Joellan mentioning her dad trying to make her laugh as they walked down the aisle at her wedding!
H. Another passion Dave and Carlotta shared was their church. Dave held every position imaginable for a lay person at this church. .. senior warden, junior warden, Sunday school teacher, usher, chairman of the building committee. One member of the building committee told me that the unglamorous work authorized by the building committee in Dave’s day (shoring up the bell tower and adding a new roof, literally saved the building during Hurricane Ike! ….he even designed the columbarium where he was interred earlier today. Dave served as president of Trinity Episcopal School’s board of trustees and the chair of the search committee that called me here in 2002. It’s an understatement to say that I am deeply indebted to him! Here is another aside…outside, near the bell towers; there is a statue of a little girl seated and holding a flower. One of the girls, Joellan, was the model for that beautiful statue. The statue will always remind me that we are called to seek and discover order and goodness in this world.
2. OK, NOW FOR THE FINAL WORD
At a memorial service, those of us who stand in the circle of Christian faith know that we must proclaim the Resurrection. Fittingly, the family chose a reading from the Gospel According to John with an architectural reference. In this reading Jesus tells us that there are many structures, or dwellings places, in which we may abide in his Father’s house. He reminds us that he has prepared a such place for each of us. Danielle shared with me something from Dave’s final hours that I think Dave would want us to know. At one point near the end, Dave was following something in the room with his eyes….but Daniele could not see what he was looking at and Dave wouldn't say what it was. Whatever it was, he broke out into a deep peaceful smile. We don’t like to talk about the end, when we cross over to the other side, so these kind of things don’t get shared much…but priests do hear of these visions. (If you are interested in learning more, I refer you to the published work of the Rev. John Price, a priest in the Diocese of Texas.) So I’m kind of left wondering what Dave was seeing… perhaps, it was the city of God, or Dave’s own promised abiding place in Heaven. What Dave saw is a reminder to us that death is not the final word. Passion is also the term used for Christ’s suffering and reminds me that Dave had his own share of physical suffering. But he endured with character, perseverance, and faith. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, might we all give thanks for the life of this wonderful passionate man…this architect, best friend, dad, lover of the outdoors and person of faith… and might we all learn something from his deep gladness that will enable us to live more passionately in our own lives. In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
The Rev. David C. Dearman
March 21, 2015
