Major "Jim" Barber's Obituary
Jim Barber, 84, passed from this earth that he loved so much to a place that he knew would be even more beautiful on July 25, 2020, finally taken from us by the ravages of COPD and Alzheimer’s.
He was many things, but above all he was a loving family man, who was meant to raise daughters, and love and care for his wife. He married Linda Phelps in 1959 after a long distance courtship and their bond of eternal love began. Jill came along in 1963 and Janet in 1965 to complete the young family. Next came his sons-in-law, Bryan Simmons and Chris Gurton and his two beloved granddaughters, Beth Banales (Alex) and Sami Gurton. He had just learned that his first great grandchild is due in December.
He loved his family more than anything, and Linda was the envy of so many wives because he was always very affectionate and public with his love for her and the girls. There was never any doubt that he loved them immensely, even when he got angry. He had a powerful temper, but it was gone quickly and he was always the first to apologize for anything said in anger.
He could build anything and is survived by almost everything he ever created, as he always built “heck-for-stout”. He loved to read, especially history books about his beloved Arizona, and his curiosity about everything was a gift he left to his girls. He was a genuine servant, helping neighborhood kids with school projects, granddaughters with their 6th grade castles, lending his expertise in so many things to anyone in need . He was a teacher, instructing his city girl wife and later his daughters about guns, shooting, hunting, car care, tools, building, concrete, bridges, dams, roads, the desert, the mountains, cribbage and family history. He extended this to his granddaughters, taking Beth and Sami to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show every year. He shared his hunting and fishing skills with his son-in-law Chris, and outfitted both him and Bryan with every tool they could ever need, and showed them how to love their wives.
He loved to go for long drives in the boonies and take family camping trips or go on vacations in the truck and camper, and later with Linda in their fifth wheel. He stopped at every roadside historical marker he saw. He could remember stopping at a specific bend in the road in 1952 and finding a piece of Indian pottery. Stream fishing for trout in the White Mountains and deer hunting in the Canelo Hills were his favorite outdoor activities.
Almost everyone knows of his artistic skills from the 62 annual Barbaramas that he illustrated. He carved his own tooled leather belts. In later years he did hundreds of jigsaw puzzles with his daughters and granddaughters. Concrete was an art to him as well, and he would show up anytime and anywhere for a pour. Some know his “artistic” sayings, also known as Barberisms, such as “Slicker than snot on a doorknob”, “busier than a one armed paper hanger”, “couldn’t pour pee out of a boot with a spigot on the toe and directions on the heel”
He loved to sing old country and western songs like “Froggy went a Courtin’” and “Strawberry Roan” to his girls and dance with his beloved Linda, his sweetheart, his doll, to Alan Jackson’s “Remember When” in the dining room of their home. He always carried many photos of his girls in his wallet, including one of Linda in a bathing suit at Lake Tahoe in 1958. He was home for dinner with his family every night, and Jill and Janet woke him up from a quick nap between dinner and work by tickling him until he captured them both with his big strong hands. His eyes were the bluest of blue and his smile was contagious.
He was many other things…he was a son to his parents, Jim and Irene Barber, who brought him here in 1945 from upstate New York in a small trailer, making Arizona his favorite place for the rest of his life. He was a brother, an uncle, a friend, a boy scout, a Christian, a patriot, a veteran. He even tried his hand at coaching Bobby Sox Softball for Janet’s team. He was an icon of western fashion, always wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat, and those western shirts made by Jill, the ones with extra large pockets for his Constitutions.
Jim was a graduate of Amphitheater High School, 1954; Colorado School of Trades, 1955 as a registered gun smith; U of A in Civil Engineering, 1961; Stanford University MS in Civil Engineering/Construction, 1962; Lieutenant to Captain, US Army Corps of Engineers, 1961-1965.
After 22 moves in the first 15 years together, with school, the Army and construction, the Barbers moved back to Tucson in 1971, where Jim worked as an engineer and superintendent on several of Tucson’s landmarks. He built Kino Hospital, Cholla High School, Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson Newspaper Plant, Tucson City Center with M. M. Sundt. With the Ashton Company he worked at Esperanza School, ASARCO and Raytheon. He retired after 11 years as Manager of Field Engineering Division for Pima County Transportation.
Jim loved his country and his community, serving for 4 years on the Flowing Wells School Board, as president of the Southern Arizona Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, on the U of A Engineering Alumni Council, on the State Board of Technical Registration for Engineers for 6 years, and as a Republican Precinct Committeeman for 46 years. He was Linda’s rock and stood by her side for many years as she worked Republican politics in Tucson.
Jim was commissioned into the Army out of ROTC and loved shooting sports and education. Donations can be made in Jim’s name to the M. James Barber Memorial Fund for JROTC at Flowing Wells School District, 1556 W. Prince Rd., Tucson, AZ 85705. Please make checks payable to the district and include the name of the fund in the memo line of your check.
A Memorial Service will be held at Faith Community Church on Friday, August 14th, 2020 at 2:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Light refreshments will follow in Harrington Hall.
To ensure the health and safety of our community, we are following all guidelines set by local, state and CDC officials.
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