 BARBER, WILLIAM G. a noted architect and aviation enthusiast from Albuquerque, went with the Lord on April 18th to join his wife Flo... A REMARKABLE MAN...He was born in Cypress Hills, NY on April 20, 1922. He was mechanically talented at an early age and his family encouraged all his talents. He graduated from NYU as an aeronautical engineer and got a job with Grumann Aircraft. He started at the bottom to become a master craftsman at forming metal. When World War II started he became a pilot and eventually a service test pilot, testing the Republic P-47 as they were produced, he bailed out twice from a flaming plane and crashed once. This crash produced the evidence of a design error of the radial engine. After recovering, he was sent to England to supervise the reassembly of the P-47 Thunderbolt for combat service. He enjoyed this assignment since his team consisted of all females. After returning to the states, he continued working for Republic on the early fighter jets. After the economy slowed following the war he pursued other engineering opportunities. He moved out West and began designing homes for various movie stars in Hollywood. He moved to Las Vegas in the early fifties and became a consultant architect for several of the early casinos. Other projects included designing a paper mill in Louisiana and part of the design team for Pantex. In 1957, he moved to Albuquerque. For the next forty eight years, he designed numerous commercial and residential buildings throughout the area with companies such as Mossman-Gladden and Flatow-Moore. He eventually opened his own firm, William G. Barber and Associates. During all this, he maintained a passion for flying. He owned numerous airplanes and helped start the local chapter of the EAA in Albuquerque. He was president of the chapter for many years. He was well known in Albuquerque and Oshkosh, Wisconsin for his solutions and assistance to aircraft builders and restorers. He was seemingly limitless with patience and advice. As a general rule, home builders and aviation enthusiasts in the area have Bill's fingerprints all over their projects. He was also an accomplished pianist. He is survived by a brother; two sisters from New York; four children; four stepchildren; ten grandchildren; and six great- grandchildren. A memorial will follow at a later date.
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