G. Andrew Barker, 63, of Palm Springs and Idyllwild, died Thursday, April 26, 2007, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
He was born Sept. 19, 1943, to William H. Barker Jr. and Betty E. Barker in Hollywood.
Andrew was an architect with the firm Interactive Design Corporation in Palm Springs. He was a master commissioner for the California State Board of Architectural Examiners.
His work in the Coachella Valley includes private homes in Rancho Mirage, senior housing in Cathedral City and low-income housing for the Coachella Valley Housing Authority.
Before developing ALS, Andrew had begun work on the Desert Aids Project housing plans.
In the 1980s, Andrew participated in one of the first HIV vaccine trials at the National Institutes of Health, Washington, D.C. In 2005, he participated in a clinical trial study at UCLA’s Neuromuscular Disease Center searching for a cure for ALS.
Private services are pending.
He is survived by his life partner, Frederick H. Bailey of Palm Springs and Idyllwild; a daughter, Lindsay Smith of San Diego; a son, Christopher Barker of Santa Barbara; two brothers, William H. Baker III and his wife, Marlene E. Barker, of Westminster, Colo., and Franklin E. Barker of Riverside; his mother, Betty E. Barker; and two grandsons, Dylan and Tyler Smith. His father, William Barker, and a brother, David Barker, preceded him in death.
The family suggests memorials to the Visiting Nurse Association Hospice, 42-600 Cook St., Suite 202, Palm Desert, CA 92211; the ALS Association, 5200 Kanan Rd., Agoura Hills, CA 91301; or any other charitable organization.
