Phillip F. Barker

Phillip Frederick Barker, 85 of Marshalltown, passed away on the morning of Wednesday, November 7, 2018 ­at Grandview Heights Nursing & Rehab Center in Marshalltown, Iowa. Heaven’s skating rink has welcomed “Papa Barker” home! Funeral services for Phil will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 12, 2018 at Mitchell Family Funeral Home with Pastor Craig Luttrell of  the First United Methodist Church officiating. Public visitation will be held one hour prior to services. For further information or to send a condolence please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call (641) 844-1234. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Phil and his family. Phillip Frederick Barker was born on February 8, 1933 at home in Marshalltown to Clifford and Florence (Taft) Barker. Phil married Clara Rose Weidner on July 14, 1951 at the First United Methodist Church in Marshalltown. Phil worked at Lennox Industries in Marshalltown. Phil and Rose enjoyed roller skating at Skatetown almost every weekend until, to their disappointment, it closed (the two met at the Old Forest Park skating rink in Marshalltown). They spent many hours bicycling around Marshalltown. Phil coached both his sons in Little League and was an avid Marshalltown High School sports fan and Iowa Hawkeye fan. He enjoyed hunting for arrowheads and other artifacts, gardening (especially tomatoes) and time with family and friends. He loved nature and spent many spring days hunting for, and finding, mushrooms. He became a Mason alongside his son, Eric. Phil was a member of the Cyrus Lodge #338. Left to celebrate his life are his wife, Rose; two sons, Eric (Carol) Barker and Derrick (Peggy) Barker; brother Dan (Diane) Barker and sister Linda (Dave) Carmody, all of Marshalltown; grandchildren: Ben (Kirsten) Barker of Marshalltown, Ashlee (Corey) Stupp of Marshalltown and Andrea Petermeier of Conrad, Iowa;                   great-grandchildren: Marcus and Lincoln Barker, Zander and Emma Stupp, and Emmitt and Eathan Petermeier; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Phil was preceded in death by his parents and two of his brothers, James (Audrey) Barker and Donald T. Barker.