Richard Guy Barker passed suddenly on May 22, 2024. He was born September 18, 1951, to Melvin Sr and Martha Victor Barker, and he was a lifelong resident of Fairmont.

Richard served the City of Fairmont as a Firefighter for 25 years prior to retiring in 2001 and was honored to be Vice President of the Union. He also worked at the Owens Illinois Glass plant in Fairmont.

Richard is survived by his four children; daughter Julie Niessner and her husband Andy of Fairmont, son John Barker and his wife Lauren of Fairmont, daughter Lori Barker who resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and son Jason Barker of Fairmont. He was so proud of his children, and he was especially prideful that his son Jason also chose to serve his community as a firefighter.

In addition to his children, he also survived by his granddaughter Sarah (Morris) Stilgenbauer and her husband Drew of Fairmont, granddaughter Shelby (Morris) Brooks and her husband Skyler of Fairmont, and his best little buddy, his grandson Fenix Barker of Fairmont. Recently, he was blessed to become the great grandfather of Sutton Brooks of Fairmont and he was set to be a great grandfather to little "Addie Bea" Stilgenbauer, who will soon be gracing all of us with her presence. His "furry" grandchildren, Rambo, Freya, Hogan and Harper were all very fond of their Pappy.

He also survived by his brother Billy and his wife Betty, and his former wives, Shirley Gay and Judy, all of Fairmont

In addition to his parents, Richard was proceeded in death by several siblings. He held a special place in his heart for his sister Marcella Tarley and her husband Tony, along with their children. Her dearly loved his sister Marty and her husband John, along with his sisters Donna, Marjorie, and Louise. He saw his big brother, Melvin Jr. (Punkin), as his childhood protector. He missed his brothers Paul and Phil and often talked about them. He never got to meet his sister, Marion, who died at birth.

Our Richard was quite a philosopher. "The Old Man", as his children affectionately called him, was loyal to his family, sports teams, and his beliefs. He served (in an unofficial capacity) as the Head Coach and General Manager of all WVU sports teams, along with the Steelers and Pirates.  Had they just listened to him, they would have won every game! He would gladly defend his views while listening to an opposing opinion. He could tell someone that the downfall of society started with the end of his beloved "muscle car era", and somehow by the end of his explanation, you would see his point. He loved to reminisce about stories of his youth and getting into mischief with his best friend Dana. He loved to tell stories about his friends Albert and Billy and their muscle cars, and he always told tales about the fire house. He will dearly miss his brothers including Swaim, Vanata, Captain Sermo, Steve Smith, Bob Starn, Homer, Weegie, Snuffy, Scott, Whiteman, Bowers, Simmons, Richard King, Tommy Morgan, Leezer, and Peaches and the two Gary's who passed before him. Although he didn't see you guys a lot in the last few years, he often talked about all of you.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Ruby Memorial Hospital who cared for him in his final hours, with a special thanks to Nurse Jordan.  We also want to recognize his neighbors, Emily, Brian, and little Snow who visited often with him.  His very special friend Kay and his niece Kathy were also with him till the end.  The family would also like all of the citizens on Levels Road to think about Richard every time your power goes out!!

Richard chose cremation, but a public visitation will be held on Friday May 31, 2024, from 4-7 at the Domico Funeral Home in Fairmont.