Attention fans of John Barton: the memorial is this Sunday. John Lloyd Barton, welder, amateur military historian, pinhole photographer, artist, art collector, explorer and raconteur, died peacefully on December 19, 2013 after a long illness. He was born October 17, 1945 in Fredericksburg, Va., son of Robert A. Barton, DVM and Rosemary Weiss Barton. As a teenager, he moved from his childhood home near Bryn Mawr, Pa., to Hanover, Va., where his father worked as a veterinarian. Johnny enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as radioman on a destroyer in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Vietnam War. Upon his return to Virginia, he discovered that his job in the Grounds Department at Virginia Commonwealth University afforded him free undergraduate tuition. Johnny enthusiastically extended the standard four-year stay to nine years by changing majors when he got within a few credits of earning a degree. This long and varied stretch of study, as well as a lifetime of avid reading, accounted for much of the expansive breadth and depth of his interests and expertise. He was a talented model builder and several of his aircraft models were displayed at the Virginia Aviation museum. Besides leaving his mark on Richmond with his metal work, including period fences and staircases on historic buildings, Johnny driving in a pickup emblazoned with Another Pro-Choice Welder on the tailgate and a loyal dog in the passenger seat, was a familiar sight in the city. Johnny is survived by his brother, Wynn Barton of Georgia; and his children, Mark and Rebecca; niece, Jessica Barton and her husband, Kong Nou; nephew, Justin Barton; and niece, Janel Barton; cousin, Jeanne Renner of New Jersey; grand-nieces and nephews; his dear friend, Barb Moore; as well as legions of friends.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 17:57:58 +0000
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