Harold "Fuzz" Barton

Harold Eugene Barton, 83, better known as “Fuzz,” died peacefully on Friday, June 19. We hope that you had the opportunity to meet him and to spend time with him. This was an extraordinary man whose generous and caring spirit was a blessing to many. Harold, son of the late Tillman and Velma (Neisler) Barton, grew up in S. Roxana, and graduated from Roxana High School. He started working at a young age with his father, and built a lifelong commitment to hard work. Fuzz worked for his Dad at Barton Lumber, worked with his brother at Barton Construction, and wrapped up his career in construction with his son Matt, at BERCO Construction prior to his retirement. Over the years, he built many homes, roads, bridges, and many utility infrastructures in the River Bend area - too many to mention. Harold had an exceptional experience during his time in the Army, after high school. Stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, it was discovered that he had typing skills from his work helping his father in the lumber company. This landed him an office job, where he wore a tie every day to work, and enjoyed frequent opportunities to travel Europe extensively. He traveled all along the Rhine River in Germany, visiting lots of old castles. He visited London, Paris, Copenhagen, Sweden, and he toured the entire length of Italy - visiting Rome, the Isle of Capri, Milan, Venice, and Pompeii. Fuzz married Emma Fin in 1962, moving into their first home in Roxana, that he had built during their engagement. Their family grew to include their children, Stephanie and Matthew, and Harold built a larger family home in Hartford in 1971. Fuzz was an avid water skier, and member of the Alton Water Ski Club throughout the 1960s. He would perform in the shows on the slalom, cutting up a large spray of water behind him, leaning over so far that the spray would cover him, as the announcer would call out, "He's down! He's down! - NO! He's up!!", thrilling the audience. He was also known for using a thick round wooden disc that he made himself. He would stand on the disc, carrying along a stepladder, that he would place and climb to the top of as he was skiing across the water. Once he reached the top, he would then turn circles. This was a real crowd pleaser. Skiing was a part of his family life with Emma, Stephanie, and Matt. There were summer evenings when he would come home in the afternoon from work, and the family would take the boat out to the river and get in some evening skiing. There were weekends where the family would take a quick trip down to Norfolk lake, skiing in crystal clear water, enjoying time with friends and family. He taught family members, and his kids' friends to ski. Sometimes he would get out in the water with the student to lend support in their early attempts. Were you one of the lucky ones to get to ski with the Bartons? Summers were all about waterskiing in Fuzz's family, and winters were all about Sanibel Island, Florida, and the sport of shelling. The family discovered Sanibel on the recommendation of a friend in 1973, and continued to return year after year. Harold was there every year through 2019. They learned from the old shellers on the island, and could often be found out in the middle of the night, with lanterns and buckets, searching for shell treasures. Harold and Emma made many beautiful crafts with the shells, even attending a flea market to sell their crafts. In more recent years, Harold would make dozens of beautiful pairs of shell earrings, and offer them to friends and family. Even as recently as his last chemo treatment, he took earrings for all the nurses and those who worked at the infusion lab at SLU. You should also know that everywhere Harold went, he made friends. People were drawn into his friendly demeanor and ever present smile. He had friends who were friends throughout his life, and he had friends who became family. Life was filled with fun around Harold, singing along to the radio, ping-pong games in the basement, homemade ice cream, camping trips, games of UNO, and parties. He had an appreciation for nature, and birds and animals of all kinds, with the ability to spot otherwise hidden animals even as he was driving down the road. He would quickly pull to the side of the road, or out through a field, to point out a deer, or an eagle perched in a tree. Or, walking down the beach on Sanibel he would spot a special shell that others had walked by, or notice the bubbles in the sand that indicated some little creature burrowing beneath. He was a great caregiver, even though he didn't like being on the receiving end. When Emma developed MS, and eventually lost her ability to walk, Harold took care of her and made accommodations in their life so that they could still enjoy what was most important to them. He added a chair lift to the motor home so that they could continue to travel to Sanibel, and he would rig up her wheelchair and create a pathway of carpet squares to get to the beach if a beach wheelchair wasn't available. Because of this love and caring, Fuzz became an avid cyclist as he trained for and rode in the MS 150, raising money for the MS Society, and riding with a team of family and friends. He was always a stronger cyclist than the younger family team members. Harold loved being a Grandfather and spending time with all 6 of his grandkids. He loved attending their events over the years, most recently enjoying football with grandson Tysen's team, and lots of hockey with grandson Cayden. He was proud of the exceptional workers Steven and Ethan had become, and he loved the way they towered over him. His granddaughter, Taralei, has enjoyed many special moments living with him for the past year and a half. He cared for her and she cared for him. And Grandpa Fuzz made the cross country trip to Washington in 2017 for granddaughter Marissa's wedding. He was happy to get the entire family, with all the kids and grandkids, to join him for a special Sanibel vacation after Emma had passed. Loretta entered his life in 2014, and they were a good match for one another, enjoying drives along the river road, putting together large intricate puzzles, eating out, and attending concerts together. The entire family is grateful for her loving presence in his life. His beloved wife Emma preceded him in death on March 1, 2014. Survivors include a daughter and son in law: Stephanie and Terry Griffin of Snoqualmie, Washington, a son and daughter in law: Matthew and Barbara Barton of Alton, six grandchildren: Taralei, Marissa and her husband David, Steven, Ethan and his wife: Adrianna, Tysen, and Cayden. Harold is also survived by his dear companion: Loretta O’Neal of Alton, three sisters and two brothers in law: Lela Ellis of Terra Haute, Indiana, Marilyn and Jimmy Gebert of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Marcia and David Feldman of Godfrey, a brother and sister in law: Don and Vera Barton of Edwardsville, many nieces, nephews, and countless other extended family and friends. Due to the current Covid – 19 restrictions, funeral services will be private. The funeral will be live-streamed at: http://facebook.com/groups/fuzzbarton. Please join us there online to view the service and to share your personal memories and pictures of Fuzz. The family and funeral home will arrive at Valhalla Memorial Park in Godfrey for entombment around 11:30am on Saturday, June 27, 2020, if you wish to be present with physical distancing. A celebration of Life open house will be held Saturday afternoon, from 4 to 6 pm, June 27, 2020, at BERCO Construction in Cottage Hills with plenty of space for physical distancing. Call BERCO with questions. Memorials are suggested to the Saint Louis University Cancer Center to assist patients with financial needs during their treatment. Please choose 'Cancer Patient Assistance Fund' if donating online or print it in the memo section of your check.