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Jill Regnier (Howard) Barker passed away on October 16, 2024 surrounded by her family and a few close friends at home in Ann Arbor. Jill was born in Takoma Park, MD to Janet (Peterson) and Fred Howard and grew up in Garrett Park, MD. In Garrett Park, she attended local public schools and made many friends while participating on the swimming team and in the Girl Scouts. She graduated from Antioch College in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and was part of a lifelong group of friends who have always remained close to each other in spirit, even when spread out around the country. After graduating from Antioch, Jill shared an apartment in Seattle WA, with one of these friends, where she met her future husband, John R. Barker. They married in 1972 and eventually settled in Mountain View, CA. In October 1976, they welcomed their son, Daniel Howard Barker, born in Redwood City, CA. Danny was severely intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD), leading to Jill’s lifelong commitment to IDD advocacy.
Jill became involved with several advocacy organizations, especially the Bay Area Coalition for the Handicapped (BACH), which was founded by her good friend Marie McKeever. BACH and Jill’s main motivation was to ensure that people affected by IDD are not overlooked by government agencies and other organizations that focus primarily on people who are not as severely disabled. In January 1985, Ian Alexander Barker was born in Mountain View, CA. Ian was also born with severe developmental disabilities, despite prior reassurances by medical professionals. In the spring of 1985, the family moved to Ann Arbor, MI. In 1986, the Barker’s beloved daughter Jennie was adopted. The boys lived at home until each was about 20 years old.
Despite the demands of caring for the boys, Jill became very active in advocacy for the IDD. She established the Friends of DD support group at Highpoint School. Additionally, she started a DD newsletter that later evolved into the DD Newsblog (https://theddnewsblog.blogspot.com/), a valuable source of information and commentary for families and friends of people with developmental disabilities. Jill testified at legislative hearings and submitted comments on pending legislation. (She later earned a second bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Eastern Michigan University.) She was instrumental in establishing the Just Us Club, a licensed daycare program offering after-school activities in Ann Arbor for children and adults with DD. She also became heavily involved with VOR (‘A Voice of Reason’), a national non-profit organization devoted to advocating for the IDD. Jill remained passionately involved in all of these efforts until her death. Jill is deeply loved by her family, friends, and all that knew her.
Jill was preceded in death by her parents, Fred S. and Janet Howard, her brother John Howard, and her son Daniel H. Barker. She is survived by her husband John R. Barker, her son Ian A. Barker, her daughter Jennie Barker, and her beloved nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jill’s memory to her two favorite organizations, Just Us Club (PO Box 2688, Ann Arbor MI 48106) and VOR (www.vor.net).
Jill became involved with several advocacy organizations, especially the Bay Area Coalition for the Handicapped (BACH), which was founded by her good friend Marie McKeever. BACH and Jill’s main motivation was to ensure that people affected by IDD are not overlooked by government agencies and other organizations that focus primarily on people who are not as severely disabled. In January 1985, Ian Alexander Barker was born in Mountain View, CA. Ian was also born with severe developmental disabilities, despite prior reassurances by medical professionals. In the spring of 1985, the family moved to Ann Arbor, MI. In 1986, the Barker’s beloved daughter Jennie was adopted. The boys lived at home until each was about 20 years old.
Despite the demands of caring for the boys, Jill became very active in advocacy for the IDD. She established the Friends of DD support group at Highpoint School. Additionally, she started a DD newsletter that later evolved into the DD Newsblog (https://theddnewsblog.blogspot.com/), a valuable source of information and commentary for families and friends of people with developmental disabilities. Jill testified at legislative hearings and submitted comments on pending legislation. (She later earned a second bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Eastern Michigan University.) She was instrumental in establishing the Just Us Club, a licensed daycare program offering after-school activities in Ann Arbor for children and adults with DD. She also became heavily involved with VOR (‘A Voice of Reason’), a national non-profit organization devoted to advocating for the IDD. Jill remained passionately involved in all of these efforts until her death. Jill is deeply loved by her family, friends, and all that knew her.
Jill was preceded in death by her parents, Fred S. and Janet Howard, her brother John Howard, and her son Daniel H. Barker. She is survived by her husband John R. Barker, her son Ian A. Barker, her daughter Jennie Barker, and her beloved nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Jill’s memory to her two favorite organizations, Just Us Club (PO Box 2688, Ann Arbor MI 48106) and VOR (www.vor.net).
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