Lydia DeAngeles Barkley

Lydia DeAngeles Barkley
1917 ~ 2013
"Lydia was a Lady!"
Lydia DeAngeles Barkley died peacefully November 12, 2013. She leaves her son, Byron Barkley and his wife, Deborah; three grandchildren, Chris and his wife, Christine, Jessica and Ashley; and two great-grandchildren, Dylan and Oliver of Darien, CT.
Lydia was born in Sunnyside, Utah on June 30, 1917 to Filomena and Giuseppe DeAngeles, who had emigrated from Calabria, Italy. Lydia was the youngest child of 12 born to the family. Her father and nine brothers all worked in the coalmines in Carbon County loading coal cars for $1 per car. Several brothers worked their whole life in the mines, while others moved to California.
She spent her youth in Sunnyside and then moved with her family to Price where she graduated from high school, worked part-time as a movie theatre usherette and in her first beauty contest was crowned Queen of the Carbon County Rodeo. Lydia joined her brother, John, in San Francisco where she hoped to attend college but could only afford secretarial-business school.
Her family and Utah drew her back and she worked as a secretary during the construction of Geneva Steel in 1944. She worked for her future husband Bill Barkley who was the project engineer; they fell in love, courted and married. She was beautiful, vivacious and had a 300-watt smile. They were married at Lydia's sister Nora's home in Salt Lake with a reception at the Price Country Club. Their honeymoon took them to Zion's, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. They spent 29 very happy years together until his death in 1973. After his death she traveled extensively, especially on cruises with her also adventurous friends.
Lydia was a lady, a businesswoman and a model. After Bill completed the building of the Geneva Steel plant in Orem they moved to Scarsdale, NY and then Tucson -- but returned to Salt Lake City where in 1951 he and Lydia started Utah Sprocket & Machinery with an initial $5,000 loan from Lydia's father, the coal miner. Lydia helped Bill build the business and did the accounting, but her real passion was fashion so she went to modeling school. She was perfect! And soon she was modeling the best clothes of Makoffs and Auerbachs.
Lydia was a lady with many friends. Lydia made friends wherever she lived, wherever she traveled and until the end of her life! Lydia loved socializing with her family and friends, planning parties, food and COSTUMES. Lydia had lifelong girlfriends such as Gemma, Amy, Karen, Shirley and Mary who made her life fun and lively. Other friends were part of her special Friendship Group, the Gyro's started in 1955; some friendships came from her 45 years of membership at the Cottonwood Club; others came from PEO and bridge clubs, and her philanthropic boards.
And in her later years, Tuca, Cynthia, Ana, Regina, Viviane, Grace, Simone, Patty and their husbands and family were the ultimate friends and caretakers. They were Lydia's shopping buddies, confidants and cooking friends. Also comforting and supportive were Dr. Gay, Alosia, nurse Marty and the handsome Kent, her physical therapist, whose visits Lydia especially looked forward to.
Lydia was a lady with a fabulous family who loved her dearly! They were most central to Lydia's life. She loved being with her three grandchildren Chris, Jessica and Ashley and her GREAT grandchildren who were born to Chris and Christine -- Dylan and Oliver.
Lydia was a bountiful, generous lady. She was on the Holy Cross Hospital Board for ten years. She along with Norma Matheson, O. C. Tanner and many others helped bring back the beautiful rose garden to the hospital grounds. After the Holy Cross was sold she moved to the University of Utah Hospital Foundation Board were she served several terms. The warm comforting ambiance of the University of Utah Hospital's Emergency Waiting Room was created with funds she donated in Bills honor.
Lydia was a lady who was loved. All who knew her will miss her so much, but there could be no better beacon for us to follow than Lydia with her love of life, kindness to people, generosity and openness to the world and all its opportunities.
A celebration of her life will be held on Monday, November 18th at 4:00 P.M. at The Country Club, 2400 Country Club Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah. Interment at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the University of Utah Health Sciences, 540 Arapeen Drive, Suite 120, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, or the charity of your choice.