Robbinsville Township lost more than its recreation director when Joe Barker died Feb. 11 after a lengthy battle with colon cancer.
It lost a devoted family man, proud of his sons Austin, Matt and Jack. A loving husband to his wife, Jane. A coach to hundreds of Robbinsville children. A believer in the value of community.
Those who knew him best described Barker as kind, hardworking, positive, funny. Quick to become a friend, but there for the long run.
Barker, 55, served as the township’s recreation director for six years. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts, he was a graduate of Northeastern University. He enjoyed a corporate career in the logistics and supply chain industries and was a former executive for Mobil Oil before being hired at Robbinsville Township in September 2011.
At the recreation department, he continued to shape the legacy he built as a coach in the township. He pushed for new programs and traditions, like the annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby. His work affected nearly every Robbinsville resident, as he developed relationships with sports leagues, scout troops, local musicians and more. He strived to provide recreational opportunities for as many people and as many age groups as possible. He was ever-present at community events.
To measure what Barker meant to Robbinsville consider how the community rallied around him and his family. How community groups hosted home run derbies and No-Shave November fundraisers to gather support and awareness for colorectal cancer research and prevention. How the municipal government shut down for three hours so everyone could attend his funeral. How, when the municipal government announced Barker’s death in a Facebook post, a stream of tributes flooded the page. Within 24 hours, the post had 165 comments—each comment a personal testimonial to the effect Barker had on his town and his neighbors.
Those tributes tell Barker’s story best. A selection of them follow:
Katie Zurich: Joe’s love of community was second to none. He lived to share his love of the town with others. When I moved to Robbinsville and joined his Rec committee, he constantly spoke of his passion to serve. On the night of Steve Mayer’s vigil, after everyone had left, I saw Joe sitting on a bench. Later he explained he needed a quiet moment to thank Steve for everything he gave Robbinsville and for the man he was. Today, I envision Steve embracing Joe and extending that very same sentiment. Sending much love to Joe’s family, friends, and colleagues. It was an honor to work with you, Joe.
Matt Coyle: Joe set the example on how to make where you live the best it can be by bringing people together and making it awesome for the kids. I can’t count the number of smiles he put on people’s faces through his unrelenting work ethic, acts of generosity, as well as his sense of humor. We are all blessed to have had him in our lives.
Reena Shah Bhatt: There are no words. Joe was a king among men! He was a great coach to my son and a key driving force to the Robbinsville community. His kindness, generosity and spirit were amazing and will be greatly missed. My prayers and deepest condolences to Jane and the boys.
Mike Smith: What a huge loss to both his family and our community. Joe was exactly what we needed in our town. Having coached with him and against him, I can tell you that Joe was the perfect person for our town’s recreation department. He truly cared about every kid in our town, I can say that honestly after many conversations we had regarding our recreation programs. Joe worked extremely hard to try and keep everyone grounded when it came to being overcompetitive, including myself. I’ve had numerous conversations with Dave Fried about how amazing Joe was and what a great job he was doing for the community. Such a sad day for our community.
Michael P. Caputo: What an overwhelming loss to our community. Joe was a straight shooter that worked tirelessly to make our community better. His tenacity to do the right thing when it was difficult is to be admired. Pushing back on coaches that wanted to play on sub-par fields in order to protect them for the long run is just one of the many ways he looked out for the future of our town. He will be sorely missed and our prayers go out to his family.
Lorna Cruz: Joe was one of my first friends in Robbinsville! Our first soccer coach and he was my first visitor in my new office. He always had a smile and left you smiling. Prayers to Jane and the boys and his Robbinsville family.
Paula Sussman Lotito: My heart broke when I heard of this news. Joe was my a son’s coach and such a man of integrity, compassion, and humor. He really exemplified what it meant to be a great man who taught our kids how to not only be good athletes, but how to be good citizens and how to get along with one another. What a loss for our community. Lifting up Jane and their beautiful children in prayer. I am confident our little town will rally around them all to provide comfort.
Jamie Langsdorf: I will never ever forget this great man, and I know that I have become a better person just by having him as a friend. My heart goes out to Jane, Austin, Jack and Matt. Love you Joe and thank you for everything you’ve done for my family and this community.
Martin Golizio: Joe genuinely cared about each and every child associated with all of our recreation programs and always went above and beyond to ensure the success of each program. Having worked closely with Joe during my time as RLL treasurer Joe was always the consummate professional and extremely well organized. I greatly enjoyed the times sitting in his office working closely with him on behalf of the RLL. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to know him and call him my friend. He will be missed by everyone in our community and by all those lives he has touched both near and far.
Debbie Baer: Joe went out of his way to be sure kids in Robbinsville felt they were an important part of a team and our community. His genuine kindness and caring were obvious in everything he did. His kind nature made Robbinsville a better place.
Robbinsville Township recreation director Joe Barker with his family. Barker died Feb. 11 after a lengthy battle with colon cancer.,
