Robert Bramley Barker

A memorial service will be held Friday (May 4) in Hawaii for Robert Bramley Barker, a Lab retiree who held key management positions within the LLNL weapons program, served as an assistant secretary of defense and also worked for a number of government agencies and commissions.

Barker died April 30 of heart failure. He was 73.

Born March 9, 1939 in New York, Barker graduated from Dartmouth College in 1960 and earned a Ph. D. in physics from Syracuse University in 1966.

Barker's extensive career spanned some 33 years.

He joined LLNL in 1966 and served as a member of the Mace Design Group in A Division, including program manager for the modified Spartan warhead from 1966-1971. He was the head of A Division's Strategic Weapon Group from 1971-73. He was the founder and division leader of D Division, the Weapons Program's systems analysis and effects technology division from 1973-1978. He was Z Division leader, supporting the nation's intelligence community and providing analysis of foreign weapon programs and nuclear proliferation from 1978-82.

He was the assistant associate director for Arms Control, representing the director of LLNL on arms control issues from 1982-83. He served as deputy assistant director, Bureau of Verification and Intelligence, at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), under the provisions of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act from 1983-86 and assistant to the director at LLNL from 1992-99.

From October 1986 to May 1992, Barker served in the Department of Defense (DOD) as assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy). This was a Presidential appointment requiring Senate confirmation.

As assistant to the Secretary of Defense, he was responsible for the planning and implementation of the modernization and upgrading of nuclear and chemical weapons, and for the safety and survivability of nuclear and chemical stockpiles and related systems. He coordinated all activities of DoD and the Department of Energy related to the military applications of nuclear weapons.

From July 1986 to February 1998, while serving at the ACDA and DOD, Barker was head of the U.S. delegation at the U.S.-Soviet Nuclear Testing Experts Meeting and Round I of the Nuclear Testing talks in Geneva.

Barker was a member of the Commission on Science and Security for the Department of Energy (Hamre Commission) from 2000-2002. He was a member of the 1998-1999 Congressionally-appointed Commission on Maintaining U.S. Nuclear Expertise (Chiles Commission). He was a member of the Strategic Defense Initiative Technology (Fletcher) Study in 1983. He was on the faculty in the Office of Personnel Management Executive Seminar Program and an adviser to the Defense Science Board.

Barker held the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and the Superior Honor Award of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. He was an officer of the Legion of Honor.

He was an avid golfer and was an advanced practitioner of yoga. He loved to cook and was an excellent baker and pasta maker. He also enjoyed travel and experiencing different cultures and cuisines.

He was married to Kathleen C. Bailey and resided on Kauai, Hawaii. He is survived by his three children: Bob, Ken, and Beth; and six grandchildren.