Timothy Gaius Barker, our inventor, handyman and until recently – our driver, left us on Aug. 23, 2025. He entered this wonderful, ridiculous world in Chicago in 1942. The family moved to Delavan before his father was discharged from the Merchant Marines, just after the end of WWII.
Timothy spent his formative years in Delavan and graduated from Delavan Darian High School. He took a two-year course in Machining and Die Making at Allied Institute of Technology in Chicago. He went to work for Gilman Engineering and Manufacturing in Janesville in February 1962 and continued with them until the German Company, that bought Gilman to eliminate the competition, closed the doors in 2008. He was drafted and served proudly in the US Army from April 1964 to April 1966, spending most of the two years as an MP at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Timothy and Jo Anne were married on March 10, 1973, and moved to a home he designed and partially built in rural Darien. His focus in life was his love for his wife and family; thus, he very rarely put himself first. One of his favorite things was eating food of almost any kind, but he never developed a taste for pickled pig’s feet or hot peppers. He recognized the need for everyone to have beliefs but definitely didn’t appreciate the push to make everyone believe the way they did and therefore he believed in doing his small part to make a better world.
He didn’t fear death; he just didn’t want to be there when it happened. He was especially thankful for the superb wife that helped him be a better person and raise three fine children to become terrific adults, despite the fact he was a pain at times. He is gone but not forgotten.
Timothy is survived by his wife, Jo Anne; and three wonderfully idiosyncratic children, Melissa with grandchild Eleanore at home, Marie Pipowski with grandchildren Raelyn, Jacob and Wesley of Janesville, as well as a son Michael (Heidi) Barker of almost anywhere in the world but presently in Florida; some very special North woods cousins and several grand dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elbridge and Eleanore (Melissa) Barker.
Instead of flowers, Timothy would ask you to do an unsolicited and unexpected act of kindness for someone.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 at Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, 1010 N. Wright Road, Janesville. Pastor Mark Weiss will officiate. Burial with military rites will follow in Spring Grove Cemetery in Delavan. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 and from 9 to 10 a.m. Aug. 30 at the funeral home. Online condolences may be sent to www.henkeclarson.com.
