Deborah A. Barker

Deborah “Debby” A. Barker passed away on May 15, 2024, at Research Medical Center. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Muehlebach Funeral Home, 6800 Troost Avenue, Kansas City, MO. A celebration of Debby’s life will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 23^rd, at the Lake Lodge located in Swope Park at 7304 Oakwood Drive, Kansas City, MO.  

Debby was born May 21, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, to Joseph and Agatha (Humphreys) Daley. She was educated at St. Dominic’s High School, Oyster Bay, New York. She then attended Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and ultimately the University of Missouri, Kansas City. 

Debby was a computer programmer in the infancy of the internet and at the very beginning of the widespread use of computers in business.  In 1991, she started Barker Consulting Group in Kansas City, Missouri, which provided technological services to businesses throughout the area, including many major corporations.

In 1995 Debby married Lou Clairmont, Jr. The two of them shared a passion for conservation and animals. To pursue their love of nature, Debby and Lou became involved in volunteering at Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City in 2003.They also loved socializing with friends and frequently hosted events where the conversations were abundant and stimulating.  

Once Debby retired from her consulting business in 2005, she decided to educate herself further in conservation. In 2006, Debby was certified by the Missouri Department of Conservation as a Missouri Master Naturalist in the inaugural class of the Osage Trails Chapter based in Kansas City. Thus began her second career as a prolific volunteer at Lakeside Nature Center and other organizations throughout the area.  She served on the board of directors for the Friends of Lakeside Nature Center and was the chair of its Education Committee. Debby gave presentations on nature and conservation to schools and organizations throughout the area and received many accolades and awards for her commitment to the environment and her dedicated volunteerism. Debby was a remarkable woman whose generous spirit touched the lives of many. 

Debby was preceded in death by her parents, sister Melissa Pendarvis, and her beloved husband, Louis A. Clairmont, Jr.  She is survived by her cousin, Rosemary Heath and Rosemary’s family, Robert Goddard, Rachel Goddard, and David Goddard. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Friends of Lakeside Nature Center (4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132) or StoneLion Puppet Theatre (2400 E Truman Rd, Kansas City, MO 64127) are suggested.