Obituary

FREDERICK ALLAN BARKEY, a renowned scholar, passed away peacefully on February 10, 2022.

Born on July 14, 1933, the only child of Mildred Stevenson Barkey and Frederick Melvin Barkey, he grew up in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A popular high school athlete, he set Pennsylvania high school track records. He attended East Liberty High School but finished his high school education at Upper Darby High School in Philadelphia when his father was transferred by Gulf Oil.

He subsequently moved to St. Albans, West Virginia, and it was at Marshall College where he met the love of his life, Sandra Suzanne Holstein, marrying her in 1955. At Marshall, he was president of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and graduated with honors. The Barkeys settled in Charleston and raised three children while he taught school and worked on his graduate degrees, achieving his master’s degree from Marshall and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Barkey was a much beloved teacher of thousands of students who attended St. Albans High School, Morris Harvey College (where he rose to be head of the history department) and Marshall University College of Graduate Studies.
He dedicated his life to groundbreaking research of the lives of the working class and immigrant families of West Virginia. He was knighted by King Leopold of Belgium with the Order of the Leopold for his book Cinderheads in the Hills, which chronicled the Belgian glass workers in West Virginia and was the inspiration for a display at the South Charleston Museum. His most significant impact upon West Virginia history was the research for his book, Working Class Radicals: The Socialist Party in West Virginia, 1898-1920, partially based upon countless interviews with aging coal miners in the 60s and 70s. During the coal mining strikes of the 70s, he was often sought out as an expert by the national media. His study of the coal miners was inspired by his father-in-law, Charles Holstein, a coal miner who fought in the Battle of Blair Mountain. Subsequently, he collaborated with the State Capitol Culture Center to curate the coal mine heritage of the state and gave many lectures at the Archives.

Under the auspices of his graduate class and through a grant, he and his students developed the first elementary and secondary teachers’ curriculum for West Virginia Labor History for West Virginia schools. He was frequently a lecturer at those schools bringing his collection of coal mining tools and artifacts, much to the delight of the students.

Most recently he was honored with the Truthteller Award by the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, an institution he helped found. He served on the National Coal Heritage Authority representing Kanawha County, the Chair of the Coal Heritage Highway and was President of West Virginia Labor History Association.
He loved his immigrant studies, always interested in the linage of everyone he met, and was particularly interested in languages, being proficient in four. In collaboration with his wife, Sue, he decorated his majestic East End home with seasonal displays. Particularly, they loved the Christmas season decorating all three stories of their home with more than 16 trees, several of which had underground villages he designed.

Quite the colorful raconteur, he regaled his grandchildren, friends, and anyone he met with his endless amusing stories. In his retirement (although he never stopped his research), he enjoyed many happy hours at The Roosevelt Senior Center, painting with his friends in an artist club and traveling with his beloved wife. His favorite amusement was finding the best deal at Gabriel Brothers, thus providing him bragging rights with his family.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his son Timothy Allen Barkey. He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Alisa Bailey; his son, Benjamin Barkey; his granddaughters, Cassady Bailey, Greer Bailey and Larson Barkey; his grandson Griffin Barkey; his daughter-in-law, Christine Barkey; his son-in-law, Timothy McCaulley; and his beloved dog, “Boo Man.”

The family will mark his passing with a private family ceremony at St. John’s Episcopal Church and will host a Celebration of Life on April 7, 2022, which will be the Barkeys 67th wedding anniversary.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for contributions to the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum at P.O. Box 764, Matewan, West Virginia 25678 or online at https://wvminewars.org/donate.

You may send condolences to the family at: www.barlowbonsall.com

Arrangements are being handled by Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home, Charleston, WV.