George P. Barker ’61

George died April 29, 2016, in Columbia, Md., after a short illness related to vascular disease. Born in Baltimore, Md., he attended Gilman School.

At Princeton he majored in the Woodrow Wilson School, played varsity lacrosse, and was a member of Ivy Club. His senior year-roommates were Eddie Brown, Rick Butt, Scott Driscoll, Tom Garrett, Tal Mack, Bill Miller, Toby Rankin, and Paul Sanger. George was a loyal Princeton supporter and an avid Tiger lacrosse fan.

After military duty in Fort Hood, Texas, George married Anne VandeGrift, and attended Columbia Law School. In 1972, his family moved to the “new city” of Columbia, Md., where George worked on the legal team of the Rouse Co. George believed deeply in Columbia’s vision of building a better city that welcomed citizens of all races and beliefs. After working at the Rouse Co., George was general counsel of the Enterprise Development Co. and later at Howard County General Hospital. He most recently served as senior general counsel of Martek Biosciences. Until the diagnosis of his illness, George worked as a legal adviser to Columbia’s urban-planning efforts and served on numerous community boards.

George is survived by his wife of 53 years, Anne; daughters Kate Barker Swindell and Maggie Barker Taylor ’98; son Van Barker; and six grandchildren.