Kevin G. Bark

In Austin, Texas, on August 6, 2024, Kevin George Bark was called home at age 53 to be with his Lord and Savior, where we know he is fully restored, free from any illness he had on this earth. A visitation will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, at First Baptist Church of Killeen (3310 S. W.S. Young Drive) from 6-8PM with a funeral service on Saturday, August 24 at 1PM at FBC.

Kevin, AKA Buddy or KGB, was born in Tacoma, Washington on September 13, 1970, to Joyce Elizabeth and Gerald Raymond Bark II. He is survived by his devoted wife, Vivian (Rivera), his loving daughters, Bailey and Mackenzie, brother Jerry (Eva), sisters Kelly (Joe Scagliusi) and Susan (Bill Loessberg), and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and padrinos. He was preceded in death by his mother, Joyce and father, Gerald along with extended family members.

At age two, Kevin’s family was transferred from Fort Lewis, Washington, to Fort Hood, Texas. At first, they lived on base but his parents purchased a home on Farhills where he spent his formative years. Living there, he had many fond memories with his family and the friends he made at Sugar Loaf, Nolan, and Ellison High School, from which he graduated in 1989. Along those years, Kevin was a participant in different sports programs that instilled the love of athletics which stayed with him for the rest of his life. In school, well, let’s just say he challenged his teachers. He may have been just too intelligent for his own good. He found a love for football and baseball that continued with him until the end of his senior year. During that time, he was able to hone in on his leadership skills which are remembered to this day by his teammates. Yet, they remember his mischievous tendencies as well (there are numerous stories to support this description). Buddy was also fortunate enough to have some interesting adventures working as a lifeguard for the Killeen Parks and Recreation Department alongside several of his friends.

After his high school graduation, Kevin went to Central Texas College to later transfer to Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas where he would major in Medical Technology, just like his mother. There, he continued his love of sports by playing on fastpitch and slow-pitch softball teams as well as intramural football teams. Kevin’s intelligence finally got to shine in his program, earning him a spot in the Lambda Tau Honor Society as Vice-President.

In his junior year, Buddy met a hometown girl (whom he had technically met in high school) by the name of Vivian Rivera. In November 1992, they started a courtship that turned into love. God had a plan for those two because after a few years of dating, that young lady was to become his bride.

Kevin graduated from SWTSU in August of 1994 and was granted a job at Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio. After working the night shift there, he was able to acquire a position back in San Marcos at a lab where he really learned to enjoy his role as a medical technologist. On July 9, 1994, he proposed to Vivian to be his wedded wife. They later married on July 29, 1995. Their lives would move them back to Killeen in 1996, where he was hired at the Darnall Army Medical Center where he worked as the assistant supervisor in Microbiology. He stayed in that department for many years until he sought a promotion to be the Quality Control Coordinator for the Department of Pathology. He won numerous awards from the military based on his work ethic and relationship with his fellow co-workers who collaboratively earned high marks for the laboratory’s success with their annual inspections. Many of them have recounted the fact that he was an intelligent, hard-worker who remained humble while edifying others. Those leadership skills, learned years ago on the field, were being highlighted once more in a different avenue. After five years there, he was afforded the opportunity to receive another promotion to run a level three, bioterrorism laboratory under the umbrella of the Centers for Disease Control. Kevin did love the research with this new occupation but disliked the loneliness seeing that only one worker could be in there at a time and he decided, after close to two years, to take a chance on another promotion to be the Performance Improvement Coordinator for Darnall and all outlying clinics. He found delight in this new title but it wore thin after some years. He left Darnall in 2014 to work alongside his wife on her new business endeavor after she left teaching the same year. He remained in that official post for one year (Kevin continued to support her as the garage/backyard guy and parking attendant until the last sale) and decided to take on the titular role of “Agent of the Year” for the Larry Weiss Insurance Agency. In reality, it was not work. He went to hang out with his best friend Monday through Friday and in that time, work got done. His demeanor changed from the stress he left behind at the hospital to a joyful one that was quite evident. Kevin loved meeting new people and working with “old Killeen” at that office until his passing.

Kevin’s greatest accomplishment, however, was the birth of his twin daughters, Bailey and Mackenzie, on January 27, 2002. Trust us when we say their birth gave him abounding joy! He loved those girls with all his heart. He was a fantastic girl-dad. He coached them in little league softball, supported them when they tried dance classes for a year, read them stories, and went to almost all of their events from elementary through high school. He rarely missed an occasion. He fostered the love of science in Mackenzie and sports in Bailey. He built them forts and equipment, danced with them, took them on memorable, family trips, and held them when they needed him most. This did not stop when they got “too old”. He would kiss Bailey and Mackenzie goodnight until his body was no longer able.

Kevin has been described as humble, goofy, intelligent, funny, friendly, kind, and loveable by his friends, clients, and colleagues. We know him as a wonderful son, brother, uncle, godfather, son-in-law, nephew, cousin, employee, and friend. However, his most profound titles are child of God, husband, and father. No matter the part he played in life, Buddy will be sorely missed by all whose lives he touched. Go rest high on that mountain, my love, your scars are gone and the only ones in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now.