Louis Herbert BARKER [2149]

  General Notes:

Obituary.
LOU BARKER
Herald Sun, Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Premier sport in footy, cricket, bowls.
Sportsman
Born: July 3, 1925
Died: March 3, 2001
LOU Barker was a sporting legend in the western suburbs. Nicknamed Louie the Fly, Mr Barker played football for Foot-scray, was a premiership player in the Williamstown VFA side and served as president of the Newport ANA Cricket Club. He later became foundation president of the Altona North Bowling Club. Mr Barker was born to Ruby and Herbert Barker in 1925 and grew up in Footscray with his sisters, May, Lorna, Betty, 0llie and Joyce (both deceased), and brother Ronnie. During World War II, Mr Barker served in the RAAF at stations around Australia. He met his wife Ruby in Ballarat and they were married in Mel-bourne in February 1947. The couple had three children; Rhonda, Sandra and Ian. Mr Barker began his football career with the Braybrook Football Club before joining Footscray where he played 24 games in the late 1940s. He transferred to Williamstown Football Club and played in their 1949 premiership side, later continuing his affiliation with the club as coach of the reserves.

He led the reserve team to back-to-back premierships in 1955-56 before being appointed senior coach at Spotswood in 1958. In his first year at Spotswood, Mr Barker's team won the premiership and in later years twice finished runners-up. He also established an under-14 team at the club, coaching it to two premierships. In the summer, Mr Barker was a keen cricketer, playing for the Laurel and Newport ANA clubs. A batsman and a bowler, Mr Barker made many centuries and took several hat-tricks. In 1964, he was elected president of Newport ANA and his home became the club's social centre. Mr Barker was known for his humour, which was described by a fellow club-member as fundamental to the success of the club's end-of-season trips. In his later years, Mr Barker became a passionate lawn bowler. He was three-time champion of the Spotswood Kingsville RSL Bowling Club where he served as club president for two years. In 1984 Mr Barker was appointed foundation president of Altona North Bowls Club. He was the driving force behind the new club, conducting negotiations with Williamstown City Council to build lawn greens and a clubhouse. The club played its first season in 1985 and Mr Barker went on to be five-time club champion Unlike cricket and football, bowls provided an opportunity for Ruby to be involved in Mr Barker's passion for sport and she created her own success on the greens. Despite his declining health, Mr Barker continued to bowl for Altona seconds when the season began last year. His fighting spirit saw him elevated to the firsts this year, where he played his last game just weeks before his death from cancer. Mr Barker is survived by Ruby, his three children and nine grand-children.

Images courtesy Naismith Family Tree Ancestry

  Other Records

1. Lou & Ruby Barker, 1980's.

Louis married Ruby May NAISMITH [2180] [MRIN: 711], daughter of Albert NAISMITH [27623] and Hilda May JONES [27624], on 15 Feb 1937. (Ruby May NAISMITH [2180] was born on 31 Mar 1925 in Victoria and died on 2 Aug 2016.)