4/20/1943 – 7/27/2024
Lawrence
Beau Barrick, 81, was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 20, 1943. He died after a short illness on July 27, 2004. Beau was a star athlete at Will Rogers High School in track and field. He excelled in Pole Vault, winning a scholarship from T. U. which he declined, but later went on to compete in interstate non collegiate competitions. Always the athlete, he swam at Robinson Gym, played city wide basketball, and ran with The Mad Dogs. He started his professional career working for two Germans at a Tulsa VW dealership. He later opened his own import car repair business, where many owners of import cars relied on his knowledge and expertise. Beau raised Airedale dogs, and took his favorite dog Louie everywhere he went, even camping where the dog got in a skirmish with a skunk. That ended the camping trip and Louie had to get a bath at a motel.
Beau raced English sports cars, and were his favorite to work on. His love of motorcycles continued even after he had a serious accident which left him with severe pain from nerve damage. He was an expert fly fisherman, and fished from Arkansas to Colorado and beyond. The two biggest fish he ever caught, a brown and a rainbow, were mounted over his fireplace.
In retirement he spent hours reading his many books on Native American history and culture. Having Cherokee ancestry, and hearing his mother’s many stories about the Cherokee’s plight, made him sensitive to their suffering. His interest in world history, birds, and wildflowers made him a great conversationalist on any of these subjects.
His love of the outdoors culminated with the purchase of a 2005 V W Westfalia camper that he shared with his long time partner and confidant, Diana Matthews. Both previous owners of V W’s, they traveled in familiar fashion. Meeting past and present owners on the road was in itself part of the lure. Trading stories about the places we had visited, and plans for future travels, allowed us to make new friends from all over the world. Beau hiked The Grand Canyon and Black Canyon Of The Gunnison, fished and canoed Yellowstone Lake and went with many friends downhill skiing in Colorado.
Visiting Old Man’s Cave, Serpent Mound and taking pictures of the murals along the Ohio River in Portsmouth, was a spiritual journey for both Beau and Diana. Having access to a cabin along Paint Creek, and walking across the famous Roebling Bridge in Cincinnati added to their special visit into the past. Whether hiking the Tall Grass Prairies of Oklahoma, and Kansas, or being invited to a Hopi maiden dance celebration in Arizona, every trip was an adventure.
Peace and Happiness, my friend.
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