Posted by Rocky Barton on November 16, 2003:

Eulogy given at grave side service for R.O. Barton, 12 Nov 2003, by his oldest son, Rocky, USAFA '72 Thank you all for coming here today to help us celebrate the life of my dad. He certainly had many friends and touched many people from all walks of life. He had a truly wonderful life and 1 think he was able to accomplish everything that he ever dreamed of doing. Perhaps the write-up about dad in his West Point yearbook just about sums it up: "Life is only as full as you make it!" Perhaps this was the principle which Guided R.O. through his cadet days. At any rate, he combined an unbounded Enthusiasm with a multitude of interests to cram his four years full. The Chief did about everything, and managed to do it very well. A good athlete and an ardent sportsman, a popular lad with the fairer sex, a winning smile, and first class officer material are a few phrases which epitomize a truly all-around fellow. That was how his classmates viewed dad in 1948. They used words such as 'lad' and 'fellow' back then. How prophetic their assessment of dad turned out to be! I'd like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Annette for being such a loving wife to dad during the past twenty-two years. Hank and I figured you probably added at least ten years to his life just by keeping him relatively under control. Your devotion to him and the extraordinary care you provided to him during his illness are particularly appreciated. Thank you from all of us. The Robar accomplished many things in his life most of which you can all read about in The Chronicle, but he always considered his ten years in the Air Force as his most meaningful achievement, particularly his years as a fighter pilot. Winston Churchill once said "There is nothing in life more exhilarating than being shot at - unsuccessfully!" Dad would attest to that as you all know. He was especially proud of the impact he had on the first two classes of cadets to enter the Air Force Academy during his tenure there. Yesterday Annette received the following e-mail from one of the first graduates of the Academy: "RO. had such a tremendous impact on all of us who had the privilege to serve under and be guided by him. I hold him in the highest esteem and always will..." Dad once told me about one of 'his' cadets who had expressed a desire to resign during his freshman year. Dad placed a set of his own pilot wings in the cadet's desk drawer without ever mentioning it to the cadet. The young man never said anything to dad about the wings, but graduated and had a fine career in the Air Force. About ten years later dad got a letter from the, now, captain asking that dad send him a set of senior pilot wings because his original wings had brought him such good luck since he was then piloting the SR-71 Blackbird. Dad was truly proud of the impact he had on many of our future military leaders. Dad truly loved every aspect of life. Whether he was playing cards or golf his joy was only matched by his competitiveness. One of my few regrets in life was not starting to play golf until just six years ago. Some of my fondest memories will always be of playing golf with Jim Branch and the Robar, particularly on those occasions when Annette would join us. The constant banter and often-brutal competition was always just plain fun! Of all of Dad's achievements he was especially proud of being a successful fighter pilot. It put him into an elite brotherhood that few people can understand and continued to have an impact on him for the rest of his life. He approached every endeavor and every competition with the attitude of a fighter pilot. His continued love of flying is best expressed with the poem 'High Flight' by John Magee, Jr.: O, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced The skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've Climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds - And done a hundred things you have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung. High in the sunlit silence hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air, up, up the long delirious, burning blue. I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, where never lark, or even eagle flew; And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God. Again thank you all for coming and thank you for your support and comfort. Although we will all miss the Robar, he truly left this world a belter place than he found it and we are all richer for having known him.

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