Leslie G. Barker, Sr.

Leslie G. Barker, Sr. age 80, of Somerville, Tennessee and husband of Mary Barker, passed away Wednesday evening, February 27, 2019 at St. Francis Hospital in Bartlett surrounded by his family.

Funeral Services for Mr. Barker were held at 1 P.M. Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville with Bro. John Ed Watkins, pastor of Mercy’s Bridge Church in Somerville, officiating. Interment with Masonic Rites followed in Mt. Olive Cemetery in the District 15 Community. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center – Main Chapel in Somerville.

Leslie was born August 26, 1938 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the son of the late Charles and Dorothy Barker. He graduated from the Frayser High School in 1956 and served in the United States Air Force in radar maintenance from 1955 to 1959. He and his wife were the former owners of Kountry Kuzn Bee Farm. He was the Assistant Director of the Center for Nuclear Studies at Memphis State University from 1967 to 1986, was Vice-President of American Technical Institute from 1986 to 2000 and Vice-President of IGRIS since 1998. Leslie was of the Baptist faith and was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Somerville. He was a past Master of the Masonic Lodge #73 in Somerville.

Mr. Barker is survived by his wife of 40 years, Mary Parkinson Barker; three sons, Charles “Chuck” Barker, Leslie “Bubba” Barker, Jr., Edward Anderson, all of Somerville, TN; three daughters, Mary Davis, Janice Davis (Mike), all of Somerville, TN, Dorothy Williams of Mississippi; his brother, Earnest Barker of Collierville, TN; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Betty, and his grandson, Steven.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were T.J. Davis, Michael Davis, Matthew Davis, George Williams, Dustin Brown, and Kenny Alder. Honorary pallbearers were Devon Reynolds, Maximus Hardy and Sean Harvey.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the Masonic Lodge #73, 109 W. Market Street, Somerville, TN 38068.