Edward Barbier Obituary

EDWARD A. BARBIER
February 8, 1942 ˜ January 12, 2024

Did you know duct tape is the answer to all household problems? And if that doesn’t work, WD-40 probably will? Ed Barbier did. He was the classic Mr. Fix It.
Born Feb. 8, 1942, in Vancouver, WA, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Ed was the third of four children born to Edward II and Bernadette (Arbour) Barbier. He attended Providence Academy and St. Joseph’s Catholic School followed by Central Catholic High School where he graduated with the Class of 1960.
Post-graduation, Ed enlisted in the Army and in 1964, after serving for three years, was honorably discharged. He then married his longtime sweetheart, Nancy Monroe, Aug. 8, 1964, at St. Joseph’s Church in Vancouver. Following their wedding, they made their home in the Bay Area where Ed worked for Western Electric in San Francisco. It was here they started their family with the birth of their daughter, Tracy, in 1965. After moving back to Vancouver, the family grew with the birth of Andrea in 1966 and Edward IV in 1967.
Ed began his electrical profession with IBEW Local 48, working with his dad for Barbier Electric. He had a long and successful career as a journeyman electrician, eventually taking over the business. He worked throughout the Vancouver area, and fondly recalled wiring a brewery in China with his father. Ed took great pride in his work and his handshake was his word.
Ed was the father of athletes and kept busy traveling to the far reaches of Washington and beyond to watch an enormous number of basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and football games. His fandom continued for his grandkids. Don’t bother looking for a seat cushion because he always stood.
Ed loved to play golf. He played a weekly round with friends for many years and went on numerous golf trips. He especially enjoyed an annual Memorial Day trip with 15 friends to play 36 holes a day for three days. Playing Pebble Beach upon his retirement was another highlight.
After retiring, Ed and Nancy spent time exploring the world. Their travels took them to Croatia, Greece, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Ed particularly relished traveling with friends, John and Marilyn. In addition to world travels, Ed and Nancy enjoyed road trips. As a lifelong fan of UW Husky football, road trips were often planned around Husky away games against opponents such as Arizona, Arizona State, LSU, Michigan and Notre Dame.
Ed was preceded in death by his parents and his half-brother, Dean Barbier.
He is survived by his wife Nancy; his daughters, Tracy (Jerry) Nehnevaj of Vancouver and Andrea of Seattle; his son, Edward (Kara) Barbier IV of Camas; eight grandchildren, Joshua, Daniel, Lucas, Maria, Theresa, Steven, Kate and Reese; his sisters, Sherrill Resch, Jeralyn Annas and Kit (Melinda) Barbier; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Church (17010 NE 9th St., Vancouver, WA 98684). A Rosary will precede the Mass at 10:30 a.m. There will be a celebration of life immediately following the funeral in the parish hall at the church. Please wear blue, Ed’s favorite color.
Burial will take place at Mother Joseph Cemetery (1401 East 29th St., Vancouver, WA 98663) on Friday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ed’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or St. Vincent de Paul (www.ssvpusa.org).
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