John L. Barker

Portland, Maine-John Linde Barker of Woodfield Road died January 13, 2013 at the Cedars after a lengthy illness. He was born in Portland on November 12, 1930 the son of John C. and Elsie Linde Barker. John attended local schools and graduated from Deering High School in the class of 1948.

John attended Bowdoin College where he was a member of Chi Psi National Fraternity and graduated in the class of 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He received his master’s degree in business administration in 1954 from Wharton Graduate division of the University of Pennsylvania. Upon returning to Maine, he joined SD Warren/Scott Paper Company in the field of financial accounting where he was manager of financial accounting until his retirement in 1991 after a thirty eight year career.

Active in civic affairs, John was chairman of the United Way budget and allocations committee from 1975-1977 and a member of the board of directors and executive committees during the same period.

He was a corporator and president of the trustees of the Children’s Hospital until that institution and its endowment became merged with the Maine Medical Center and was an ex-officio trustee of the Maine Medical Center from 1970-1982, and upon his death was a corporator of the recently created Maine Health.

In 1979, John was appointed by the Portland City Council to the Portland Planning Board, where he served for eleven years as member, vice chairman and chairman. He found the challenge of the eighties and the sudden development of the city and its waterfront to be demanding, yet exciting.

John was vice president of the Portland Junior Chamber of Commerce and became secretary-treasurer of the Maine Junior Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, John served as a director of the SD Warren Federal Credit Union, the Credit Counseling Center of Maine and the YMCA in Portland.

John was a sixty year member of Woodfords Congregational Church where he served on a number of committees including the board of trustees of which he was chairman from 1977-1979. He was a member of the Woodfords Club for over fifty years, a member of the 60+ Group, the men’s discussion group, and the Maine Charitable Mechanics Association.

John and his family enjoyed their summer cottage on the west shore of Sebago Lake in Standish.

John is survived by his wife of 50 years Roberta Lee Page Barker of Portland, their three children John P. Barker and his wife Dawn of Westbrook, Anne B. MacConnell of Scarborough, and Jeffrey M. Barker of Windham, as well as two grandsons Nicholas Page MacConnell and Aaron McChesney Barker, and a sister Constance B. Kent and her husband Stanley W. Kent.

Contributions can be given in John’s memory to the Woodfords Congregational Church 202 Woodford Street Portland, ME 04103.

There are no visiting hours scheduled. A memorial service for John will be held on Saturday January 19, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. in the Woodfords Congregational Church with Rev. Carolyn Lambert officiating. Interment will be at a later date in Evergreen Cemetery Portland, Maine. On Line Condolences can be given to John’s family at www.jonesrichandhutchins.com.