JAMES ROLLINS (JIM) BARKER (1921-2014)
James Rollins “Jim” Barker, former High Commissioner to Tanzania, Mauritius and Zambia,
and Ambassador to Somalia and Greece, passed away on Saturday, May 10, in Ottawa at the
age of 93. Jim is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara, their two sons, and their five
grandchildren.
Born in 1921 in Kingston, Ontario, Jim joined the Canadian Army at age 20 and fought with
the 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment between 1941 and 1946. He served in the United
Kingdom, landed in Normandy on D-Day, and fought in Western Europe, ultimately attaining
the rank of Captain.
Following the war, Jim returned to Queen’s University and upon graduation attended the
University of Geneva and the Institut Universitaire des Hautes-Études Internationales in
Geneva.
Jim began a distinguished career with the Canadian foreign service in 1950, and he would go
on to complete postings in Moscow, London and several African countries. Before his
appointment as Ambassador to Greece in 1978, Jim served as Chief of Protocol at the
Department of External Affairs in Ottawa.
Friends are invited to a remembrance celebration at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, Gatineau,
Quebec, on June 21, 2014 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. At Jim’s request there will be no funeral.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Queen’s University would be welcomed.