Ajijic resident James M. Barkley died November 25 in Tucson, Arizona, after a short illness. After spending most of his life in the Northeast United States, Barkley moved to Ajijic in 2005. He volunteered for ACA, the organic farm formerly in Jaltepec, and for the Lake Chapala Society as head of the Audit Committee. He was known for his wry sense of humor and loved nothing more than trading jokes with friends.
Born in 1936, Barkley was the youngest of nine children of Joseph Henry Barkley and Sarah Ruth Orr Barkley of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, five of whose sons served the United States in World War II and returned safely. His father Barkley was Chief Huntsman for the Punxsutawney Groundhog Society. Preceding Jim in death were his daughter Julia Barkley and his siblings Jack, Harold, Bob, Helen (Red) White, Don, Ed, and Tom.
Barkley graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a BSc. thanks to the sponsorship of his late sister Helen (“Red”) White. He also held an Executive MBA from the University of New Haven, Connecticut.
In Barkley’s career as a financial executive, he excelled in his grasp of complex financial issues, as well as in his innate ability to manage people with compassion and appreciation of individual skills. Among other accomplishments, he was Corporate Controller of the Stanley Works, Chief Financial Officer of Buell Industries, and Director of Treasury and Administrative Services of TAD Resources International. He enjoyed a second career in pension plan management consulting with BTHR Solutions.
Surviving Barkley are his wife, Judith D. Baehr (Judy) of Ajijic, his sons Jeff and Jim and their wives Colleen and Ellie, his grandsons Matt and Steve, his sister Ann Mumper, sisters-in-law Louise Barkley and Angie Barkley, stepson Alan Baehr and family, two nieces and numerous nephews and their families.
A private memorial service will be held in Tucson. Condolences can be made at www.AngelValleyFuneralHome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Down Syndrome Society at www.nads.org/pages_new/donate.html.