Beverly A. Barker

Beverly A. Barker,77, died at her home in South Yarmouth on May 29, 2010, after a lengthy illness. Her adoring husband and constant companion Roland was at her side. Born at Cape Cod Hospital Aug. 10, 1932, Beverly was the daughter of Paul and Ethel (Hopkins) Robie and resided most happily in West Dennis during her youth. She thoroughly enjoyed everything about attending school and graduated in 1950 from Yarmouth High School, where she was her class valedictorian. She met Roland Barker during the summer of 1950, and they were seldom apart thereafter, except for a couple of years during his four-year enlistment in the Air Force during the Korean War. Their life together from the outset and throughout her entire life was constantly filled with love, devotion, joy and satisfaction. She and Roland were married June 1952, in the West Dennis Community Church and lived for a year-and-a-half in North Truro and Provincetown while he was stationed at the North Truro Air Force Base. She and their first son Steven, born in 1953, accompanied Roland back to Dartmouth College where he resumed college following his discharge in December 1954. Beverly resided in Northport Long Island, N.Y., with Roland and their three sons (Steven, James - born 1958, and Jeffrey - born 1961) from 1957 until 1998. While there, Bev graduated from Stony Brook University, received an MA degree from C.W. Post College, and an M.B.A. degree from N.Y. Institute of Technology. She was employed at various times as an elementary school teacher, supervised the Reading and Learning Disabilities Center at C.W. Post College, was employed in the Business Office of the Islip (N.Y.) School district, worked in the Circulation Department of Newsday Newspaper, and developed and ran her own successful printing business in Northport for 10 years. After having vacationed on the Old Barker homestead in West Dennis for many years, she and Roland moved to their new permanent residence in South Yarmouth in 1998. She worked at the West Dennis Christmas Tree Shop for 10 years and managed the West Dennis Community Church Consignment Shop for 10 years also, until her health began to decline. Bev is survived by her beloved husband and best friend Roland and their three sons, Steven of Snohomish, Wash., James and his wife Jennifer of Robbinsville, N.J., and Jeffrey of Northport, N.Y., and three granddaughters and a great-granddaughter. She was predeceased by her parents and her older brother Edward A. Robie. Beverly was proud of her Cape Cod heritage and ancestry, which included Stephen and Giles Hopkins on the Mayflower; Captain William Paine of the U.S. Life Saving Service at the North Truro Highland Station, various Chases, Crowells, Hopkins, and other Cape Codders. She also had fond memories of the many friends she acquired during her lifetime, as a youth, in Dennis and Yarmouth schools, at her church in West Dennis, when delivering special delivery mail on her bicycle as a youth for her father, the West Dennis postmaster, and during her various activities and jobs on both Cape Cod and Long Island. Bev's family is very grateful to the friends and relatives who have most kindly extended their sympathy and who have generously offered assistance and gifts. Sincere thanks also are given to the various personnel of the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Hospice for their concern and efforts to alleviate Beverly's pain and to keep her as comfortable as possible during her final few months, especially her most compassionate, friendly, skillful assigned nurse, Maureen. In lieu of flowers, donations in Beverly's memory may be made to West Dennis Community Church, P.O. Box 487, Main St., West Dennis, MA 02670. A memorial service will be held Friday, June 11, at 11 a.m., at West Dennis Community Church, 288 Main St., followed by a collation at the church.