Thomas Eugene Barker

Thomas Eugene Barker III passed away peacefully the morning of November 3rd, 2025. Tom was born April 27, 1956 to Olgalene Cook Barker and Thomas Eugene Barker Jr. in Decatur Alabama. He attended Walter Jackson Elementary School and graduated from Decatur High School in 1974. He attended Birmingham Southern University from 1974 - 1976.

In 1976 Tom moved to Pensacola Florida with his good friend Dwight Bryant, and the band Ringwraith was born. Ringwraith played all over the South and were very popular. Tom was the lead singer, played acoustic guitar, and was known for his stage antics and costumes.

After the band broke up Tom returned home to Decatur and earned an RTV Associates degree from Calhoun Community College. After several short term jobs, which included being a deejay and playing in a country band, Tom moved to Huntsville and settled in at WAAY TV working on the production crew until his retirement in 2009.

Tom met Julia Lee Carter early in 1996, and they were married on June 30, 2001. They lived happily in their house in Five Points for 27 years. They had no children so they rescued cats and dogs. They had an agreement from the beginning that art came first. Tom was a good husband who helped with the housework, and they were always the best of friends.

Tom was very gifted. He wrote music and song lyrics. He was known for his harmonica playing, also played guitar, and he had a beautiful singing voice. He was in several local bands including Trusty Kelp, more recently the Red Hill Blues Band, and often sat in with the Snake Doctors. He had many older computers arranged in networks and was always getting them to do things they weren't supposed to be able to do. There were always "widgets" on the way for hot rodding the computers, which he used to record music and digitize videos. He excelled at video editing and tape to digital conversions. He put together a recording studio complete with sound proofing and sound conditioning on a tight budget. Tom could do lighting and sound, understood HVAC and electrical. He could answer almost any history question off the top of his head. He was devoted fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and had read everything he'd written, some many times over. There was never a short answer if you asked him a Tolkien question. Tom could also be so so funny. He loved to laugh and would have been a great comedian.

Tom was modest to a fault. Part of this came from his charming natural modesty and part of it came from suffering with clinical depression, beginning at a time in his teens when it wasn't recognized as a health challenge. Even now lots of people struggle daily with this invisible monster, and the treatments are better but not ideal. It's probably the best testament to Tom that he kept on with life in spite of all that.

Tom's life and career were cut short by a heart attack in August of 2024. Tom lived another year and three months after having a coronary artery bypass graft and lots of rehab. He said he felt like an essential part of him had been removed, and he had developed congestive heart failure. Most of his last year was spent at home with Julia, friends, excellent caregivers, and two dogs.

Tom is survived by his wife Julia Carter, brother and sister in law Bill and Caroline Carter, nephew and family Tyler, Brooke, Margaret and Evelyn Carter, close friends Hugh Messenger and Charlie Howell, many other good friends, and dogs Winston and Crow. Tom Barker was well loved and will be missed.

Anyone who wishes may make a donation in Tom's honor to the America Indian College Fund.

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