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Daniel BARKER Obituary
Daniel Stephen Barker, the F.M. Bullard Professor of Geology Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, died May 21, 2015, in Austin. He was born in Waltham, Massachusetts, on February 27, 1934, the only child of Kenneth Watson Barker and Sadie Brown Barker. Raised in rural Maine, he was probably the last UT faculty member to be educated in a one-room schoolhouse. After graduating in 1952 as valedictorian from Cony High School in Augusta, Maine, he attended Yale University on full scholarships, graduating magna cum laude in 1956. He then earned his MS in Geology in 1958 at the California Institute of Technology, and in 1961, his Ph.D from Princeton University.
He came to Austin in 1963 and stuck. In 1964 he and Barbara Catherine Mackin wed and produced Molly in 1965 and Amy in 1967. These they considered their finest achievements. He and Barbara remained the best of friends long after their marriage ended in 1984, until her death in 2002. In 1994 Dan and Rosemary Brant married, in a joyous union that lasted until her death in 2006. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law Molly and Billy Gray of Austin, and Amy and Mark Rielly of Needham, Massachusetts; a grandson, Mackin Murphy Rielly; a granddaughter, Sadie Fallon Daphne Rielly; and a step-granddaughter, Paloma Gray. Four first cousins, Jane E. Barker, Ph.D of Bar Harbor, Maine, Judith B. Carducci of Hudson, Ohio, Donald C. Freeman, Jr. of Brewster, Massachusetts, and Hank Freeman of Provo, Utah, also survive him, as does his cat, Big Joe.
Dan enjoyed 36 years of teaching and research at the University. He supervised seven doctoral students and eleven masters students. He demanded that each come up with his or her own original research topic and write a proposal that competed with him for his endowed research funds. In 1994 he was awarded the Jubilee Medal of the Geological Society of South Africa, and the Knebel Distinguished teaching Award in the Department of Geological Sciences in 1976, 1980, and 1987. In 1991 and 1999, the College of Natural Sciences conferred on him the Teaching Excellence Award. He was most gratified when students called him Obi-Wan. He was a Senior Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geological Society of America, and received several research grants from the National Science Foundation. Dan was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in Denmark in 1974. He published a textbook, several guidebooks, five encyclopedia articles, and more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.
Geological fieldwork took him to many places, from Greenland to the Cape Verdes, Scotland to Italy, New Zealand to Namibia, Easter Island to Patagonia, and Japan to Turkey. During these travels, he met many strangers, some of whom were not very nice.
Dan retired in 1999, but continued his research. Travel, photography, pipe smoking, classical music, reading, New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles, food, and family were among his loves. He enjoyed puns, even good ones, and tried to hide Down-East humor that "was so dry it made your nose bleed," according to one friend. He thought he had a good life.
He inherited great empathy for animals from his grandfather, Maine farmer Zebediah Barker, of whom it was said, "His animals were always glad to see him."
Memorial contributions will be welcomed at any animal shelter.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date this summer.
Memorials and guestbook online at www.wcfish.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Daniel BARKER
Linda M. Riddle
October 7, 2017
RIP Dan Barker. It is heartening to have a sense of the man he was from his obituary. It is clear that he had such an impact on many people's lives. He was married to my cousin Rosemary Brant. My heartfelt sympathy to his family.
Bill Woods
June 9, 2015
At one of the first Tech Sessions I attended, Dan Barker stood up and asked a question. The question was so well framed and penetrating that even I, on the Admin Staff, had to turn around and see who was speaking! Dan and Rosemary were two of my very good friends and I will miss both of them.
Gwendolyn Macpherson
May 30, 2015
Dr. Barker was a one-week substitute in a thermodynamics course in which I was enrolled. Mostly I was lost in the course. However, Dan presented such a lucid, elegant discourse on aqueous solution thermodynamics that I was completely captivated, and that has been as aspect of my career research since then. Words cannot express how grateful I am for the clarify with which he presented that information, for it has had a profound of me and now, of my students. Sorry for his passing, but extremely grateful for everything I learned from him in that short time.
Jeff Rubin
May 28, 2015
I can only echo the sentiments. I took three classes with Dan, TA'd for him for 2-3 more, had him as a member on my MA and PhD Committees, and worked with him on some W TX Geology when I was at BEG. I recall some of Dan's coursework that forced us to think in "geologically realistic" terms; I also remember learning from him that there were roughly the same number of recognized minerals as there were recognized types of cheese...
Doris Wilson
May 25, 2015
I'm sorry for your loss. It's wonderful to
know that there will be a resurrection ofdead loved ones,Job chapter 14:14-15.
Dan and Vulcano... and various gaseous emissions
Bruce Turbeville
May 24, 2015
As Dan once told me, I'm not sure whether to start at the beginning or at the end. The liner notes say that Dan was probably the last UT faculty member to be educated in a one-room schoolhouse (legacy.com, 2015), but this is inaccurate. A great many UT faculty are similarly educated; it just makes for less than exemplary fodder for curriculum vitae. But Professor Daniel S. Barker was certainly educated, and went on to educate a great many young people in his exemplary career. I know because I was one of them. Dan was my mentor, my colleague and my good friend; and not necessarily in that order. In fact, Dan was the closest thing I had to a father figure in my academic career. His patience and understanding made me both a better scientist and a better person. The first time that I walked into Dan's office and told him I wanted to study alkaline volcanic rocks in Italy, his immediate response was, splendid so let's get started. And this sparked a wonderful five years of studying and travelling together. Our three weeks spent bashing the hell out of volcanoes in central and southern Italy in 1988 will long be among my most cherished memories. Uncle Dan's sad passing only serves to reignite those memories, but I will relive them many times over in the years to come. Thank you, old friend, and rest in peace. Now go tell God how to properly calibrate an Electron Microprobe!
Sarah (Hollingdale) Jarossi
May 24, 2015
I was one of Dan's classmates in the Cony High class of 1952. We never doubted that he would be valedictorian and would go on to greater things. I had exchanged e-mails with him a few years ago regarding a class reunion. He told me that he had been, among other things, a volcanologist and I would love to have heard of his exploits in this field. My sincerest sympathy for your loss, and I am sure you will often smile at the memories of his puns. I remember the twinkle in his eye when he would come out with one.
Sally Jarossi
Mark Gordon
May 23, 2015
I was a TA for Dan and he served on my PhD. committee. Later on, I always enjoyed running into him at the airport or geological meetings, the last time was just a couple of years ago. I also thought that his textbook offered a very clear explanation of igneous petrology. He will be missed by many in the UT community. Condolences for his family.
Dennis Trombatore
May 23, 2015
Dan was a gentleman and a scholar who was never at a loss for a dry but gentle witticism. He was generous with his time, and a thorough, cautious and demanding scientist. He was always a welcome presence, and it is hard to fathom that he will not be in our halls again.
Linda Davis
May 23, 2015
He was an amazing professor. I loved his dry wit. He was a good man and one I trusted. I have used his textbook for reference for a long time. I treasure what he taught me. I am very saddened by his death and I wish the family well. I didn't know he loved animals, or that he had a cat. This just makes him all the more special. My condolences.
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