Saturday, September 30, 2006
Harry Barker: An unusual life, by Oliver Barker
Dad, just Harry to most colleagues, friends and family, lived his life by his own rules. For those close to him he made it quite clear that he expected us to be part of them as “they were for our own good”.
One rule that was most fundamental to everything that drove him through his long and often troubled life was honesty, not in just an individual sense but one that was total, intellectually, physically and morally. It was this rule that brought him to South Africa to escape the social injustices of the post 1st World War, class-bound England. (Herein is an irony in itself). It was the same honesty that drove a man with three degrees to enlist as a foot-soldier and to go up north to fight for a cause he deeply identified with in 1939. It was the same honesty that broke up his first law firm and that eventually drove him to early retirement before his renaissance with Bowens and eventually Webber Wentzel. It was this honesty that brought him the greatest of respect in business and social life and above-all at home.
It was his open and ruthless honesty that made me and I am sure, William aware of the injustices of the political and social system in which grew up and had me most often standing alone in political and social debates at school, university and throughout my life.
My Dad was a giant among men, yet he was never ostentatious, frequently self deprecating and chronically lacking in self confidence. Yet with these failings he drove himself to achieve the perfect result in all he attempted. He scaled high peaks, drafted legal documents of great beauty and clarity, published books, wrote countless poems and songs. He gave to all around him a feeling of confidence and reliability. Dad, Harry, was always there to give advice, always well founded, concise and logical, but often hard to take! It was his honesty about the quality of his life that drove him to undertake this last act of desperation and undergo an operation which had almost no chance of success.
Finally one other rule which has stuck in my mind all my life was “leave while you are still enjoying yourself”.
This he did on August the 17th 2006.
We are here today to bear witness to this special person and unusual life, to a one who made the world just a little better place for 99 years. I will miss him greatly but will grow in strength from having known him as a father, mentor and friend for 61 years, an honour given to very few sons.
Harry is dead, long live Harry!!
Oliver Barker, 6th September 2006
One rule that was most fundamental to everything that drove him through his long and often troubled life was honesty, not in just an individual sense but one that was total, intellectually, physically and morally. It was this rule that brought him to South Africa to escape the social injustices of the post 1st World War, class-bound England. (Herein is an irony in itself). It was the same honesty that drove a man with three degrees to enlist as a foot-soldier and to go up north to fight for a cause he deeply identified with in 1939. It was the same honesty that broke up his first law firm and that eventually drove him to early retirement before his renaissance with Bowens and eventually Webber Wentzel. It was this honesty that brought him the greatest of respect in business and social life and above-all at home.
It was his open and ruthless honesty that made me and I am sure, William aware of the injustices of the political and social system in which grew up and had me most often standing alone in political and social debates at school, university and throughout my life.
My Dad was a giant among men, yet he was never ostentatious, frequently self deprecating and chronically lacking in self confidence. Yet with these failings he drove himself to achieve the perfect result in all he attempted. He scaled high peaks, drafted legal documents of great beauty and clarity, published books, wrote countless poems and songs. He gave to all around him a feeling of confidence and reliability. Dad, Harry, was always there to give advice, always well founded, concise and logical, but often hard to take! It was his honesty about the quality of his life that drove him to undertake this last act of desperation and undergo an operation which had almost no chance of success.
Finally one other rule which has stuck in my mind all my life was “leave while you are still enjoying yourself”.
This he did on August the 17th 2006.
We are here today to bear witness to this special person and unusual life, to a one who made the world just a little better place for 99 years. I will miss him greatly but will grow in strength from having known him as a father, mentor and friend for 61 years, an honour given to very few sons.
Harry is dead, long live Harry!!
Oliver Barker, 6th September 2006
