Extraordinary lives
MY HUSBAND KEITH
KEITH was born in Chelmsford, Essex, the eldest of three sons. He was interested in cars from an early age and wanted to design the latest models, but hated metalwork at school and didn’t relish the idea of several years on the factory floor. So he decided on architecture instead. In 1964, he started work with a firm of architects in Folkestone, Kent, and five years later went on a secondment at an associate practice in Nassau, Bahamas. In 1974, Keith married his first wife and they had a daughter nine years later. By that time, he had set up his own business, Keith Barker Design. He became well known for his flair and was commissioned for many residential developments in Hythe, Kent, winning several Shepway Council design honours as well as the distinguished Brassey award. He beat a number of leading London practices to win a competition to design a large house in St Margaret’s at Cliffe near Dover. It is known as
Moonraker because the James Bond author Ian Fleming lived locally when he wrote the novel. After the end of Keith’s marriage, we met on a blind date and married in 1996. He owned 14 Alfa Romeo cars, one after the other, and was an active member of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club. He adored his cars and when he went out to wash and polish them, he would say he was going to give them a thorough worship. The highlight of his car passion was our trip to the Alfa Romeo factory and museum in Milan and attending the Monza Formula One Grand Prix in 2018. His legacy is all around the area where he lived, with his name plaque on all the buildings he designed. Keith certainly had a career to be proud of, but his best traits were not the things he accomplished, but the person he was. He exuded patience and calm, was a kind, humorous and loving husband, and enjoyed spending time with his two grandchildren. He loved the company of his beloved dogs, dalmatian Bandit and black labradors Diesel, Ripley and Merak. Keith died on my 57th birthday, five days into the first lockdown, so we have not yet been able to give him the send-off he deserved. I miss him every day, but am grateful for the wonderful years we had together.
KEITH ROBERT BARKER, born August 21, 1947; died March 28, 2020, aged 72.