Betty Barker

Barker, Betty September 30, 1916 - January 27, 2012 Betty Barker, longtime secretary and assistant to late actress Joan Crawford, died in Los Angeles on January 27, 2012. Born in 1916 in Los Angeles, Betty was the daughter of the late Fletcher and Virginia (Shearon) Barker. She was also predeceased by her brother Fletcher (Dick) Barker, Jr. Betty grew up in Alhambra and attended Pasadena Jr. College. She promptly found employment because of her exceptional secretarial skills which served her well throughout her life. During World War II, Betty lived in Washington D.C. and became secretary to Admiral Frank Gorman, Chief Finance and Supply Officer of the Coast Guard. In 1944 she returned to Los Angeles to begin her secretarial career with RKO, and eventually became a personal secretary to the late Howard Hughes. Upon the relocation of RKO Studios to Las Vegas in 1955, Betty chose to remain in Los Angeles and began her long professional association with Joan Crawford whom she had known since the early 1930s. Betty's final position before her retirement in the mid-1980s began in 1977, after Miss Crawford's death, when she became the personal assistant to the late Eva Gabor. After her retirement, Betty volunteered regularly at The Cinema Glamour Shop (which benefited film-industry charities) until it closed in 2005. She was also a longtime member of WOMPI (Women of the Motion Picture Industry) receiving an award for her contributions to the organization. All of her life, Betty was passionate about current books and films and was an enthusiastic world traveler enjoying visits to most of the continents. Betty enjoyed acquaintances and relationships with famous film and stage stars and numerous other friendships, many of which extended back seventy-five years. Those closest to her described her as one of the most loyal, independent and dignified ladies they had ever known. Visitation will be at Abbott & Hast Mortuary, 315 Silver Lake Blvd on Tuesday, January 31 from 4-8pm and on Wednesday 10 am noon. Graveside service will be held on Wednesday February 1 at 12:30pm at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale.