Clifford Lewis Barker died in Union Maine on August 29, 2024, after a short illness.Clifford Lewis Barker died in Union Maine on August 29, 2024, after a short illness.
Cliff was born to Olive (Alcott) and T. Lewis Barker in Portland, Maine on July 16, 1929. He attended Portland Schools graduating from Deering High School in 1948. Cliff was resourceful and had many part time jobs in high school including making Italian sandwiches at a local shop and working part time at New England Telephone Co. as an office boy which would develop into a 35-year career in a management position in the marketing department. It was at the phone company where he met and later married the love of his life, Joan MacCormack.
Cliff was most proud of his four children; Daniel, Gail, Kevin, and Karl and taught them some of his many skills in carpentry, plumbing, and shared his can-do attitude! He and Joan bought a 150-year-old farmhouse in Cape Elizabeth that needed to be completely renovated. He and his brother-in-law Dick worked for months to get the house ready for his big family.
Later, Dick sold Cliff and Joan a family cottage on Chebeague Island, which they eventually renovated into a year-round home.
Cliff retired from the Phone Company on a Friday in 1981 and on Monday he went to work shingling the roof of his daughter, Gail and her husband, David’s new house on Chebeague. Never one to be idle, he then went on to work for several carpenters on the island.
Cliff served 2 years on active duty during the Korean War and continued to serve in the Naval Reserves for a total of 12 years. He was honorably discharged as a second-class petty officer.
In addition to being an active volunteer on Chebeague, Cliff was a past President and Secretary of the Cape Elizabeth Lions club, and a member of the Hill Top First Congregational Church in South Portland where he served as a Deacon, an Elder and as an usher captain for many years. He was a past President and Treas. of the Westbrook Investment Corp, and an auditor of the Telephone Workers Credit Union of Maine.
His beloved Joan passed away in 1992. In 1993, he married Shirley Stephens Wildes. Together they went on to continue to enlarge and renovated the island home. The family joked that they were Ma and Pa Construction! They became snowbirds and eventually permanent residents of Florida where they lived at the Villages for 16 years. He and Shirley worked for 10 years at the Hospice of Marion County Thrift Store. They decided that being near family in Maine was a good idea and moved to Union where they built a beautiful in-law space at Shirley’s daughter, Karen and son-in-law, Roger’s home.
Clifford was predeceased by his wife Joan, his son Daniel, and his brother Ray.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Shirley who took expert care of him right up to the end, daughter Gail (David), sons, Kevin (Deb), and Karl; a sister Carolyn Barker Murphy; his grandchildren Lauren Miller, Jonny Miller (Jocelyn), and Kristen Barker Fedder (Jared); his great grandchildren Kensley, Everett, Carter, Jax, Sydney, and Molly; Stepchildren Karen Wildes Mitchell (Roger) and Gregory Wildes (Olivia) and their families, step grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be September 21, 2024, from 11:00 – 1:00 at Hobbs Funeral Home,230 Cottage Rd, South Portland, Maine. A luncheon reception will follow at the Barker Homestead at 170 Spurwink Ave, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to:
The United Church of Christ at the Villages P.O. Box 194 Oxford, FL 34484