Larry L. Barker

Dr. Larry L. Barker passed away on October 6, 2024 at his home in Laytonsville, Maryland.

Larry was born on August 13, 1945, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the adopted son of Lester and Agnes Barker. He is survived by cousins Steven Baily and Richard Baily and a large group of local friends and neighbors who held him in high esteem. He was educated in local public schools and often said his favorite High School activity was the wrestling team. He attended the University of Tulsa and took a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Upon completion, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with a helicopter maintenance unit in Viet Nam.

Upon release from the Army, he attended Oklahoma State University (OSU) and finished a doctoral program in 1978 with the intent of teaching in a technical college. However, he received an offer to participate in a technical management program from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Initially, he worked on programs involving technical equipment at USDOE’s Defense Program field offices. Subsequently, he was transferred to USDOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration and was involved in the shutdown of the last three production reactors in the Former Soviet Union.

A special blessing in Larry’s personal life was that he was the godfather to four Kuwaiti-Americans, Fawaz, Khaled, Dhari, and Dr. Nora Al Ghais. He had met their father, Hassan Al Ghais, while at OSU. Over the years he became close to the entire family and traveled to Kuwait for extended visits.

Larry served on the Laytonsville City Council for two terms. He also was active in the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the Viet Nam Veterans Association. One of his more unusual accomplishments was the development and construction of a three-wheel car made of plastics named the SPI TRI, which was once featured on a PBS auto show.

Larry will be laid to rest October 31, 2024 @11:30 at the Crownsville Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville, Maryland.

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