Oscar Earl Barbin age 81 of Galveston passed away Saturday December 12, 2020 at his residence from complications following strokes. Funeral services are 10:00am Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at Carnes Brothers Funeral Home with visitation beginning at 9:00am. Burial will follow at Klein Memorial Park in Tomball, Texas at 2:00pm.

Oscar Earl Barbin, son of Earl Mark and Grace Inez Colville Barbin, was born October 25 ^th , 1939, in the old Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.  His mother passed away at an early age, leaving his father with three children age 11 and under.  As their father was unable to care for them properly, at different times they stayed with various relatives, or with acquaintances of their father; they spent almost a year at the old St. Mary's Orphanage in Galveston, Texas, and then from age 10 to 18, Oscar, along with his younger brother, Billie, was a resident of Boy's Haven in Amelia, TX, near Beaumont.  Once asked about that time, he said at least he knew where he was sleeping every night and where his next meal was coming from.  Living with 30 other boys in the dormitories of that day contributed to his resilience and self-reliance and probably also had a lot to do with his contrarian style of thinking. He certainly did not grow up to conform to the prevailing social norms of that day. Or any day.

He went to school in Amelia, then attended Beaumont's Southpark High School, graduating in 1958.  He enrolled in Lamar University in Beaumont, studying architecture, but enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in February of 1960.  Originally stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas, which he disliked intensely, in 1962 he was happy to learn he was to be transferred to Viet Nam, where he served as a draftsman until his discharge in December, 1963.

Convinced that he would never find the type of job opportunities he wanted in Beaumont, after his service in the Air Force he moved to Houston; he found work  as a draftsman in the mid- to late 60s for several commercial engineering companies (Cook and Hawley, Chennault and Brady), becoming proficient in electrical, HVAC and plumbing design.

Oscar met his wife, Georgia Lynn Davis, in July 1969; they were married 3 months later on November 1 ^st , 1969.  They had two children who were the delight of his life:  Earl Aaron Barbin in 1971, and Ava Grace Barbin King in 1977.  Aaron and his late wife, Kelly, blessed him with 4 grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly.  His main focus was his family, and making sure they were cared for.

Raised as a Catholic, he later was active in several non-denominational Bible churches in Alief (where he was baptized), Richmond, Sugar Land and Galveston.  He had a child-like faith in God, always remembering and saying the simple prayers he said as a little boy reaching out to his only source of protection and reassurance when he was troubled.  He dealt with life as it came, in the reality of hard knocks and disappointment and abandonment, but he trusted that God would make a better way as long as he himself was willing to do whatever he needed to do when that way presented itself.

He started his own plumbing sub-contracting business in 1971,  lost his shirt, then eventually started a plumbing, heating and air conditioning repair company (billing himself in ads as "The World's Handsomest Plumber"!), then got into plumbing construction as a sub-contractor after getting his Master Plumber's license, then into general contracting, finding a niche in government  jobs of a certain size.  He completed projects for the U.S. government (several at NASA), the state of Texas, for cities and school districts.  He naturally always had an eye to his own advantage in business matters, but believed in dealing fairly with his sub-contractors and employees.

In the mid-80s, when the oil boom busted and construction projects dried up, he built as a personal project a strip center in Needville, Texas. He and Georgia ran the convenience store/ laundromat  part for a year, bought and renovated another in Richmond (with a carwash), then another store in Needville, before selling them all to "retire" to Galveston in 1995 when Ava graduated from high school.  He had maintained his old interests in art, architecture and drafting, and combined them all with his construction knowledge when he bought their first old building at 2201 Postoffice St., when revitalizing efforts on that street were just starting.  He wanted to have an art gallery and show not just his own but other artists' work; what happened was he found artwork somewhat tedious compared with the excitement of renovating old buildings, and went on to buy (and at times, sell) six other old buildings in the twenty-five years he lived in Galveston, along with a handful of houses.  Even after Ike's damages, he jumped in to make repairs and come back as strong as ever, just as any IBC-er  (Islander By Choice) would do.

He dabbled not only in art, but in music, encouraged by his friend, Joe Brikha, and also enjoyed sewing his own colorful pants (which he called "Oscar's Island Pants") in which he dressed for at least a good 20 years. (In Cozumel, where he and Georgia often vacationed with their friends Marsha and James Scoggin, the hotel staff called him "Senor Pantalones Locos" (Mr. Crazy Pants.)  He always had a different pair for every day there and they thought he was a hoot.  (He once walked into the Rainforest Café here in Galveston, and his pants matched their tropical-print tablecloths; he blended right in!)

He enjoyed the company of his coffee buddies at Mod Coffee House, and Fridays-on-the-beach with Marsha and James. For several years, he and Georgia attended the monthly meetings of the Bay Area Accordion Club with Nathan and Lidia Gatch and Joe and Gaylynn Brikha.  Unlike Nathan and Joe, Earl didn't play a musical instrument, but was musically inclined.  He played around with Sebelius and other software to compose songs that Joe would arrange and play, and Earl would then record and put them on CDs; they had a lot of fun doing that.  They're now on sale in the lobby.  (Just kidding.)

Previous to moving to the island, he was active in the Houston Soaring Association for a number of years; their airfield was only a few miles from his home, and he and Aaron spent most weekends learning about and flying gliders.  They made many friends among the other club members, and a particular highlight was when Aaron took his first solo flight and his dad had arranged for Channel 11 to come out and video it; it was featured on the evening news with Steve Smith, the long-time Houston anchorman, and Earl couldn't have been prouder.   He was also a big supporter and sponsor of Ava and her teammates at their varsity swim meets at B.F. Terry High School during her high school years.

He maintained ties to his old high school friends through the years, attending their reunions in Beaumont every 10 years, and for some time, yearly "mini-rees" with 6 or 7 of his classmates and their spouses, going wherever took their fancy, from Mason, TX to Big Bend National Park to Aransas Pass, to Albuquerque, New Mexico to the casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi, and hosting them a couple of times in Galveston, too.  All the "Greenies" of Southpark , Class of '58, were very special to him.

Even though he knew little about his family in his younger life, he became interested in learning about it when a distant family member doing some research contacted him.  He and Georgia made several trips to Beaumont and Marksville, Louisiana in Avoyelles Parish thereafter to gather information, and the history of the Barbin family in pre-Revolutionary America remained a fascinating subject to him.  He was always delighted to meet anyone with that surname, or variations resulting from it, such as Barbin de Bellevue, deBellevue, or deBarbin, and felt indebted to all Barbin genealogists, because many of the old records in the archives of the Catholic Church in Marksville, including both his paternal grandparents' birth and wedding certificates, were written in French (also spoken in his grandparents' home), and without them he would have learned very little else!

Oscar died  Saturday, December 12 ^th , 2020, of complications following a series of mini-strokes in April, including vascular dementia.  He had turned 81 on October 25 ^th .  He was surrounded by his family, and the prayers of many were answered as he peacefully left this life, free of pain.

He was pre-deceased by his parents, his older sister, Elsie Jeanette Barbin Rudd, a beloved aunt and uncle, C.A. "Shorty" and Jane Barbin Allen, his cousin-by-marriage, Lucylle "Lulu" Allen (his first pants seamstress!), his fun-loving sister-in-law, Barbara Chambers Barbin, his parents-in-law, George and Jean Davis (who lived next door to them for many years in Needville), and a precious daughter-in-law, Kelly Utsey Barbin.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Georgia, his son and daughter, Aaron and Ava, his son-in-law, Mitch King, 5 grandchildren: Chelsea Leigh, Seth Aaron, Noah Christopher and Austin Earl Barbin and Jeffrey King, his cherished brother, Billie Lynn Barbin, 3 nieces: Catherine Rudd Long, Sandra Rudd, and Mistie Barbin Cummings, a special cousin, Ernest Gene Allen, his brother- and sister-in-law, Allen and Rhonda Davis Krahn, (who, along with their son-in-law and daughter, Shannon and Amie Krahn Swarb and children, run the Krahn Lane Sanctuary for Galveston Family Member Hurricane Evacuees), and brother- and sister-in-law, Del and Denise Davis, and their children.

Georgia, Aaron and Ava wish to thank their family and special friends who have supported us not just at this time but all through the years; we give thanks to God for you and your many kindnesses, but especially for adding so much enjoyment to Earl's life through shared interests, faith and kindred spirit, throughout all the ups and downs encountered in our time together.  Each one of you is treasured and valued more than we can ever say.

The family also asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent in Oscar's memory to:  Boy's Haven, 3655 N. Major Dr., Beaumont, TX  77713.  They also have a website.

After the service, you are invited to the Barbin Warehouse, 2723 Market St., for lunch.  After that, those who are inclined may accompany the family as Oscar is carried to Klein Memorial Park in Tomball, for a short interment ceremony, followed by cake and coffee at Allen and Rhonda's house before returning to Galveston.  This will make for a long day, but due to family needs, was the way we thought best.  We certainly understand if anyone opts out; just know that we are glad you could spend any part of the day with us to honor our husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Oscar Earl Barbin.   Building off a comment made by his neighbor, Kahla Bankston, if God is lucky, maybe Earl will give Him a few weeks to get used to the idea before he starts repainting his little corner of Heaven.

Thank you so much for being here.

(Elvis may now leave the building.)