Alden F. Barker, III Obituary (1929 - 2021)

Alden F. Barker, III, 92, of Bloomington, passed away June 9, 2021, in Bloomington. A celebration of life will be on Wednesday June 30th at the Bloomington Country Club at 4 p.m. Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Sugar Grove Nature Center in Funks Grove or a charity of the donor's choice. Al was born January 1, 1929, in Danville, the son of Alden Farnsworth and Helen Johnson Barker. He married Arlene Owens Hastings, daughter of Frank and Elma Owens on January 17, 1963, in Bloomington. She survives. Other survivors include one daughter, Nancy L. Barker of Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, one step-daughter Linda Murase of Tokyo, Japan, and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, William (Mary Jo) Barker. Al graduated from Shattuck Military Academy in Faribault, Minnesota in 1946. He attended the University of Illinois and then graduated from the University of Arizona in 1952 with a BS in Business Administration, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. In the 1950s, Al was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force where he attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant while flying interceptors out of Tyndall Air Force Base in Tyndall, FL. In 1950, Al became manager of Barker Motor Co. which had moved from Danville to Bloomington. It was located at 310 N. Lee St. Barker Car Rental was added in 1963. In 1972 with his brother Bill, a new facility for Barker Motor Company was built on Ireland Grove Road. The showroom building was completely separate from the service department making it a new concept at that time. Cadillac was acquired in 1979 and GMC Trucks in 1994. The Barker Olds/Cadillac GMC franchise was sold in 1999 to two longtime employees, Dan Traeger and Tim Johnson. The Honda dealership was acquired in 1975, and his nephew Brad became manager in 1982. Its first location was at the corner of Oakland and Veterans Parkway. In 1987, a new Honda facility was built on GE Road. In 1977, Barker Car Rental started operating under the management of Al, Bill Barker, Steve Anderson and Marlene Ludwig Woodruff. Al was a member of Bloomington Country Club for nearly 70 years. Al was also a member of Lakeside Country Club. Al and Arlene enjoyed many years spending the winter months in Longboat Key, FL where they were members of the Longboat Key Club, Bird Key Yacht Club and Cedar's Tennis Club. They spent many summer months in their home in Macatawa, MI, where they were members of the Macatawa Tennis Club and Macatawa Bay Yacht Club. Al was a great friend, a man of much character and integrity. He was a great storyteller who used humor to engage and relate to others. He was loved by many and will be missed by all who knew him.