Dale ‘Tim’ Barker

Dale Timothy Barker, 74, of Kingfisher, passed away Sept. 17, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. Tim was born Aug. 5, 1948, in Kingfisher to Dewey and Pat (Williamson) Barker. Tim graduated from Kingfisher High School and, following graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged in 1971.

While in the Army, Tim received medals for Army Good Conduct, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign and Expert Rifle.

While Tim was in Vietnam, he was exposed to Agent Orange, the results of the exposure would eventually make him totally disabled, have cancer, cause him to have a leg amputated and die from lung disease.

Tim had PTSD from his time in Vietnam before PTSD even had a name. However, before Tim started to get real sick, he was the loudest life of the party.

Tim had an incredible knack for telling stories. When Tim laughed, everyone laughed, unless you were the reason he was telling the story. Even then it was still pretty funny.

Tim also believed every good story deserves embellishment. Now you know. During Tim’s time working for the oil field and honky tonking, he met Michele and her two daughters.

Tim and Michele married and Tim became an instant dad.

Tim loved his daughters unconditionally even through those difficult teenage years, through their adult years and loved his grandchildren. Tim and Michele moved the family to Texas where Tim went to work in sales. Tim thrived in sales. He could sell pretty much anyone anything.

I actually heard someone say Tim could talk a squirrel out of a walnut tree.

Texas is also where Tim found love in barbecue. Tim started smoking meat, creating recipes and, with Michele’s help, they opened a chuck wagon. Tim’s sales job would take him to Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia where he met and made friends with many people.

When Tim was ready to retire, he moved back to Kingfisher to finish out his life.

Kingfisher was home to Tim. It’s where he felt close to his mom who had passed away in 2006.

Kingfisher is where he learned to fish, hunt and be a man. Kingfisher reminded him of family, his brothers and sisters and many friends all of whom he loved. Tim is survived by Michele of the home, his daughters Heather (Grant) and Astre (Sergio), and four grandchildren, all of Texas; siblings, Terry (Kayla) of Virginia, Linda, Patricia (Ron) of North Carolina, Jill Wilson of Florida and Jim Butler of Kingfisher; and numerous nieces and nephews. Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Pat, and his stepfather Jim Butler.

Services were 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Sanders Funeral Service Chapel with burial following at Kingfisher Cemetery.