1018. John William "Jack"12 BARBER (William Alonzo11, Frederick Ruland10, William Alonzo "Lon"9, Rev. Bradford Kenyon8, Benjamin B.7, Thomas6, Thomas5, Moses4, James A.3, James T.2, Thomas1) (#7001) was born in Warrens, Monroe Co., WI 22 JUL 1941. John died 13 MAY 2004 in Valencia, Los Angeles Co., CA, at age 62.

When John was age 28 and Carol C. CONWAY was age 26 they became the parents of Michelle Lynn BARBER 1970 WI. 9 JAN 1971 not sure?

When John was age 31 and Carol C. CONWAY was age 29 they became the parents of Michael William BARBER 4 JUN 1973 WI. JOHN WILLIAM BARBER Beloved husband of Carol, his best friend and wife of 38 years, died unexpectedly on May 13, 2004, at the age of 62. John, known to his family and friends as Jack, was born to William and Betty Barber of Warrens, Wisconsin, on July 22, 1941. His family was the long-standing owner and operator of the Union and Wetherby Cranberry Companies. After graduating from Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Jack attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he received his B.S. degree in Economics in 1965, and more importantly, met and married the love of his life, Carol Conway. He later received his Masters Degree in Communications from Shippensburg State College in Pennsylvania. Jack was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army, Armor Branch, in 1965 and served on active duty for 10 years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. He served an additional 17 years in the United States Army Reserves and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1992. After leaving active duty, Jack worked for various corporations in the sales field and then became certified as a financial planner. He retired as a financial planner for Lockheed Federal Credit Union in 2003. Upon retirement, Jack spent his time enjoying many hobbies and activities which included collecting Lionel trains, singing in the Grace Baptist Church choir, playing checkers on the Internet and driving his Corvette with his wife, brother and many friends in the Santa Clarita Corvette Club. Jack's friendly smile and warm laugh touched all who knew him. Jack will be greatly missed by his wife; his children, Michele Aronson and Michael Barber; his brother, Robert Barber; and his many other relatives and friends. A memorial celebrating Jack's life will be held at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, California, at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, May 22, 2004. He will subsequently be buried in the Warren Mills Cemetery in Warrens, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Operation Gratitude, a non-profit corporation providing United State Service Members overseas with "Care Packages", or to other charities of choice. Donations to Operation Gratitude may be sent to: Operation Gratitude/Carolyn Blashek, 16444 Refugio Rd., Encino, CA 91436. Arrangements entrusted to Halley-Olsen-Murphy Memorial Chapel, Palmdale. HALLEY-OLSEN-MURPHY MEMORIAL CHAPEL Palmdale Directors 661-947-4155 Published in the Los Angeles Daily News on 5/19/2004.

The Jack Barber Memorial Run - Kernville

As most of you know, Jack Barber was valued member of our club, Treasurer for two years, and an all round great guy when was taken from us by a tragic accident. Jack and Carol loved the camaraderie and excitement of the Kernville run, in spite of complications with reservations one year, and in remembrance of him and his family the Club named this run after him.

Initially Jack and Carol's son, Michael, planned to join this year's event. However, as the time drew near he changed his mind. He did, however, favor us by sharing his thoughts about his beloved father and Corvettes..... Thank you, Michael.

My American Passion

As a young boy I was immediately drawn to cars, motors, anything w/ wheels. My mom shares the story of when I was a baby and I would sit and spin the wheels of my toy cars, just staring at the spinning wheels.

My first introduction to Corvettes was when the family would get together and watch old slide shows. Grandpa would set up the screen, and dad would set up the projector. Us kids would groan, "Not the old slides, again"!

But we really loved looking at pictures of our parents in their younger days. I would especially enjoy the old pictures of cars. My grandpa was a car nut, and would treat himself to a new "Buick" every other year. My favorite pictures were of my Dad's first Vette, a black on black, 1963 split window with Mickey Thompson mag wheels. Every slide show I would make them tell the story of how they came to own such a legend. In 1965, as newlyweds on the slim salary of an Army 2nd Lieutenant, my dad came home from work in that legendary car. Times were tight for a while, but the fun far outweighed the struggle, as Mom and Dad enjoyed many trips including Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, with the '63 giving them a pass to park in the infamous "Corvette Coral".

As a boy, I filled my room w/ pictures of Corvettes. I assembled models of a '67 Big Block as well as an '85 C4. It wasn't until late 1993 that Dad once again realized the dream. This time it was a '91 C4 with 12,000 miles. I'll never forget driving home and spotting that beauty sitting in the driveway. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. She was indeed a beautiful car. Perfect white paint w/ dark tint and black leather interior sitting on the stock, chromed rims. Dad spent hours cleaning out the garage to make room for the new toy.

I didn't dare ask to take the Vette without Dad sitting right there beside me, and together we enjoyed some great times in that car. There was, for example, the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Every year we would pass by the 20 and 30 dollar parking areas until we found a free spot on the street, usually 1-2 miles from the race!! As we walked through Long Beach's finest neighborhoods, we would remind ourselves how many beers we were saving by not paying to park. One of my favorite trips was the run to Irwindale Speedway. We met up with some members and caravanned down to the track. That was my first experience driving in a "run", and what a thrill it was. Once at the track, we met with other Corvette Clubs from other areas and parked in a special area, much like what I imagine Elkhart's "Corvette Coral" would be like. The best part of the evening was when we all pulled out on the track and did a parade lap. Dad let me drive. What a special memory.

After 10 years with the C4, Dad finally decided to upgrade, and upgrade he did. He managed to find a black on black 2003 C5 Z06 with very low miles. The car was in North Carolina and the owner agreed to trailer it out to Las Vegas, where Dad and I picked it up. Dad and I flew out to Vegas one afternoon and met the owner at a hotel parking lot. As the car eased out of the enclosed trailer, a funny feeling came over me. It was the similar to the feeling I had when I first spotted my Dad's white C4. Similar to a child coming downstairs at Christmas time to find something special under the tree. We took turns driving back from Vegas. What a thrill that was!! If opening up a Z06 doesn't put a huge smile on your face, you need to check your pulse!!!

It has been a year since my father has passed, although it feels like yesterday. I can't explain exactly why I can't be here with all of you to celebrate my father's life and passion and for Corvettes. It's just too soon. There will be a day in the near future when I, too, will be a proud owner of American Passion that is called Corvette. And when that day comes, you will see me tearing through the canyons of Kernville, just as my dad once did.

John William "Jack" BARBER and Carol C. CONWAY had the following children:

child + 1186 i. Michelle Lynn13 BARBER (still alive).

child 1187 ii. Michael William BARBER (#7005) (still alive).

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