Curt A Barker

Curt A Barker peacefully passed away on June 14, 2018. Originally from Richmond, Indiana, Curt attended Purdue University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. After his graduation in 1978, he worked for Abitibi-Price Corporation where he spent 10 years holding various sales positions until his promotion to Regional Sales Manager. He joined ElkCorp in early 1988 as a Regional Sales Manager in Dallas, Texas but over the next 19 years, was promoted many times to Sr. Vice President and Officer, responsible for Sales, Marketing, Product Brand Development, Pricing and Training for Building and Specialty Building Products. In addition to his many responsibilities at ElkCorp, Curt obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Dallas in April 1995, served on their Advisory Board for their School of Management, as well as serving as an Advisory Board member for Baylor University Sales Institute. Curt retired for the first time from ElkCorp (now known as GAF) in May 2007 but soon took on a new challenge in Florida to become the President and COO of Suncoast Roofers Supply, a wholesale distributor of roofing materials in Clearwater. He retired for the second time in January 2008 but was again lured back into the industry when he joined Owens Corning in February 2008 as Vice President, North American Building Products Distribution Sales out of Toledo, Ohio. According to Mike Thaman, Chairman, President and CEO of Owens Corning, Curt "was instrumental in the transformation of their roofing business." Curt retired for the third and final time in December 2012 from Owens Corning.

In addition to being an accomplished sales executive and mentor to many young adults in the industry, Curt was an avid fly-fisherman, expert cyclist, a certified scuba diver, a black belt in Karate, and had a quick sense of humor. He loved everything outdoors including running, kayaking, and even did an alpine climb to the top of Mt. Baker.

But his lifelong passion was painting. Curt was a gifted oil and watercolor landscape artist, having painted hundreds of paintings from the time he was 10 years old. As he traveled all 50 states and parts of Europe, Curt took hundreds of photos to later paint. He loved sharing his paintings with others, giving most away to family and friends. He was thrilled when Reid Hospital in Indiana exhibited 15 of his artworks for several months. He also exhibited and sold two of his watercolor paintings during the 117th Annual Exhibition at the Richmond Art Museum in late 2015.

Of all Curt's accomplishments though, he was most proud of being the father of his two children, Matthew Remington Barker and Jenna Barker Wilson (Brandon). He felt fortuntate to have had playtime with his 3 1/2 year old grandson, Ezra Ray Wilson, and to meet his 4 month old granddaughter, Peyton Lee Wilson, in May.

Curt is survived by his family in Indiana, his parents, Tom and Marilyn Barker, sisters Robin Hill (Tim) and Shelley Miller (Joe), and many nieces and nephews.

Curt is also survived by his loving wife, Angela, who helped him enjoy his final years of retirement with extensive international travels, visits to family in Indiana, to state parks where Matthew worked, and to Virginia to see Jenna and Brandon, and to spend time with his grandson, Ezra.

Although too short, Curt lived his life to the fullest. His favorite motto was, “Live your life as if your hair were on fire."

A memorial service will be held 3pm Sunday, July 8th, 2018, followed by a celebration of Curt’s life at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Curt's memory to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org online or by mail to Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., #709, Clearwater, FL 33762.