James David Barker

James David “J.D.” Barker passed away peacefully on April 18, 2026, at 3:00 a.m. in hospice care at Collier Hospice Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

J.D. was born on August 30, 1943, in Topeka, Kansas, to Vernon and Francis (Fallis) Barker. He was proudly named after both of his grandfathers, Dr. James Fallis and David Barker. He graduated from Minneapolis High School in Kansas with the Class of 1962 and went on to attend Fort Hays College.

J.D. served in the Air National Guard Reserves and went on to build a strong work ethic through a variety of ventures. He owned and operated J.D. Fina Service Station, spent time in the pizza business in Iowa, and later worked in engineering and sales for Salina and Butler Manufacturing Company for ten years.

On June 21, 1968, J.D. married Carol J. Hadley in Manhattan, Kansas. Together they built a life centered around family and entrepreneurship. They co-owned Happy Hair Style Salon and welcomed two children: their son, Jayson, born July 31, 1974, and their daughter, Melissa, born December 20, 1975.

In 1978, J.D. moved his family to Littleton, Colorado, where he worked for North Munson Company as a manufacturing representative. He later founded Universal Plastics, a plastic extrusion company that operated around the clock for 23 years. After selling the business to Geo Tech Environmental, J.D. retired and devoted his time to his family, his grandchildren, and his lifelong passion for automobiles.

Known affectionately as “Papa,” J.D. was a constant presence not only in the lives of his children and grandchildren, but also to many neighborhood kids who came to know and love him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Francis Barker; his brother, Richard Earl Barker; his infant sister, Terry Kay Barker; his beloved wife, Carol; and his son, Jayson, in 2021.

J.D. is survived by his daughter, Melissa (“Missy”) Neath of Aurora, Colorado; daughter-in-law, Nicky Barker of Littleton, Colorado; nephew, Jeff Barker of Fort Worth, Texas; grandchildren Jesus Chairez, Cruz Barker, Isabelle Barker, Carol Marie Barker, Keegan Barker, Landen Neath, and Brooklyn Healey Barker; and his sisters, Sue Seibel of Peoria, Arizona, and Jackie Gutsch of Scottsdale, Arizona.

J.D.’s legacy lives on through the family he loved deeply and the many lives he impacted along the way

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