Compassionate DFW and Feeding Children Everywhere
Charles Oliver Barker was born October 7, 1945 in Waycross, Georgia and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967 and Doctor of Medicine degree in 1971 from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Following completion of a straight-surgery internship, Dr. Barker entered the Naval Flight Surgeon training program, Pensacola, Florida, receiving his "wings" in December 1972 and served at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas until June, 1975. He then entered private solo family practice in Valdosta, Georgia. He qualified for and was certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1976.
Dr. Barker practiced solo family medicine in Valdosta, Georgia, from 1975 to 1990. He became a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP) in 1977 and was an active member of the Georgia Academy of Family Practice, holding the offices of Secretary-Treasurer and Vice President. He is currently a retired member of the Texas Chapter of the AAFP. During this same period Dr. Barker was also a very active member of the Georgia Affiliate, American Diabetes Association, serving as its president from 1984-1986. Though no longer flying, Dr. Barker is a private pilot with single engine, commercial and instrument ratings, and has accumulated over 500 hours in the Bellanca Super Viking and Grumman Tiger.
Dr. Barker resumed active U.S. Navy reserve Flight Surgeon status in 1988 and was recalled to active duty December 7, 1990, serving with Marine Corps HMM-266 during Desert Shield/Storm. Following Desert Storm, Dr. Barker remained on active duty until his retirement in June 2007. During these years he completed a residency in Aerospace Medicine, received a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University, and subsequently served as Senior Medical Officer USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) 1996 -1998, as Director, Naval Aerospace Medicine in Washington, DC 1998 – 2001, as Executive Director of U.S. Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads 2001 – 2003, and as Commanding Officer, Naval Health Clinic Hawai'i until his retirement in 2007.
Dr. Barker retired to Dallas, Texas, where he continues work as part-time subcontractor with Dallas Military Evaluation and Processing Station (MEPS). Since retirement, Dr. Barker has completed a Master of Theological Studies at SMU Perkins School of Theology 2014 and is currently President, Compassionate DFW, a non-profit grassroots organization which encourages affirmation of the International Charter for Compassion by all individuals and organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, fostering the value of compassion and compassionate action in all areas of human life, using the Golden Rule as guiding principle.
Dr. Barker is passionate about a relational – responsible life. He and his wife Conoly are deeply committed to God, to their extended family, and to their three children and five grandchildren. They are deeply committed to community life through their church, and through all the individual and organizational partnerships which have joined Compassionate DFW and its mission. Dr. Barker enjoys reading, writing, walk-jogging, and gardening and loves to "fix things" around the house. He has run many 5K and 10K races, a number of Triathlons, and has completed a number of marathons including two Boston Marathons, the last being the 100th in 1996.