Barber, Wayne L., passed away, Saturday, September 9, 2023.
Beloved husband of Rosalie Barber; dearest father of Scott Barber and Aaron (Mary Lynn Dario) Barber and the late Kirk (survived by Linda) Barber and Craig Barber; dear grandfather of April Melody; great-grandfather of Alyssa, Bailey, Korben and Linda; loving son of the late Leonard and Adele Barber; dear brother of Dorothy, Glenn, John and the late Patricia; brother-in-law of Virginia Groth and the late Anna Langren and Bill Ryan; our dear uncle and friend of many.
Wayne lived most of his life on the west coast. He was born in San Francisco, California, moved to Oregon in his early 30s, to Washington state when he retired, and finally to Chesterfield Missouri in January, 2022.
His family and friends will remember him most of all for his love of nature. As a young man he studied horticulture and landscape design. Over the years he helped create many beautiful private gardens, and when he met his friend, the late Masahiro Furukawa, at a bonsai exhibit in Portland, Oregon, he was introduced not only to an interest in bonsai, but also to a career with a Japanese landscape company which develops and maintains many Japanese gardens, both private and public, throughout the United States. Wayne's favorite pastime was hiking in rural areas, in wilderness, and in many national parks and forests. At a young age he learned to identify all of the trees and plants he encountered. His artistic skill included not only landscape design, but sculpture, basketry and wood carving. After retiring, Wayne pursued a new interest in creating scale models of many historic buildings including their surrounding landscapes.
Although Wayne lost many of his abilities during his nearly decade long battle with Alzheimer's, he never lost his love of nature, his innate kindness, and his ever-present sense of humor. His family and many friends will remember all of these qualities with enduring fondness and appreciation.
Services: Services private. If desired, contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy. As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.
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