Shirley Lee Thomas Barker

1926 ~ 2022

Obituary Photo for Shirley Lee Thomas Barker < >

Shirley Lee Thomas Barker peacefully passed away on September 24, 2022. She was born to loving parents Lee Custus Thomas and Lisle Amanda Cloward on December 8, 1926 in Payson, UT.

Her best friend was her husband, Clinton Jay Barker. They knew each other for 80 years and celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in January of 2020 before Clinton passed away. Their love story started in a Salt Lake neighborhood when our mother with her beautiful red hair rode her green bicycle past dad sitting on the front porch where his family lived. She was 13 and he was 15. It survived going to different schools and WWII. Just before their first daughter was born, Clinton and Shirley were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. They had three children, Cathy, Chris and Marianne. They lived in various places around Salt Lake Valley.

Family was everything to Shirley. The things she loved to do was be with her immediate family and extended family. She had a lot of cousins and they loved getting together and supporting one another by attending all the prominent events.

In her later years, Shirley discovered her love of scrapbooking. She made a beautiful scrapbook about each of her daughters' lives. She also made two scrapbooks about her life and gave them to her daughters.

Shirley is survived by her children Cathy (Max) Steele, Chris, Marianne (Howard) Reichman; sister Norma Simmons; 13 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren.

Shirley is preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister Virginia Anderson; and brother Lynn Thomas.

Graveside services will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 12:30 PM at Larkin Sunset Lawn (2350 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City).


Guestbook/Condolences

Was just perusing obituaries when I saw that Shirley had passed away. Shirley and Clint are part of my most precious memories of Stratford ward. They were always the epitome of love and dedicated service. Furthermore, those two were almost always smiling....and why not....they had found each other years ago and found great delight in each other and their beautiful daughters while being of great service to the Lord Jesus Christ. After we moved out of the ward, we invited them to our "new" residence, along with several other friends and had a memorable couple of hours. They added so much to our world with their positive, exquisite presence. Truly lives well-lived. I pray the Lord's blessings on their much-loved daughters and their families, who will always find joy being members of the Barker family.


- Doris Williams

I am a cousin to Clint and Shirley, the youngest of the cousins. It was so fun to have cousins lunch with Clint and Shirley. They were a fun loving couple. I tried to contact Shirley after Clint’s death, even sent a note to Kathy at max’s office. Never made contact. She was a true lady. She will be missed Sending my love. Penny


- Penny barker dunn