Otis Alvin Barge Jr.

Otis Alvin Barge, Jr., born June 30, 1920 to Otis Alvin Barge, Sr. and Belle Bowden Kelly Barge, died Wednesday, March 2. A sixth generation Atlantan, Mr. Barge was a noted general contractor and civic leader, constructing many Atlanta landmarks. He attended Tenth Street and E. Rivers elementary schools and North Fulton High School. A 1941 graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in architectural engineering, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Scabbard and Blade, Skull and Key, and Architectural Society. Upon graduating, he was commissioned as Ensign in the U. S. Navy, having completed Naval ROTC during college. Mr. Barge was called to active duty in August, 1941, just prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and served in the Pacific in the Philippines, China, Borneo, Midway and Hawaii. At the age of 25, he captained the first U.S. ship to navigate the Yangtze River since 1936 and twice led a seven-ship fleet from Shanghai 600 miles up the river, taking aviation fuel to Chiang Kai-shek to help fight the Communists. During the war, on October 5, 1943, he was married to Betty Fleetwood of Cartersville, Georgia. Georgia. Mr. Barge completed his service commitment in December 1945, having attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He returned to Atlanta and ten days later, began a general contracting business, Strother-Barge Company, which became Barge and Company eleven years later in 1956. He was named one of Atlanta’s 100 Most Influential Young Men in 1950. His construction firm built many Atlanta landmarks, including the Atlanta History Center’s McElreath Hall, Freedom Hall Complex at the Martin Luther King Center, the Atlanta Airport’s first Air Traffic Control Tower and the original Shepherd Center. Other buildings that his firm constructed dot the campuses of Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Morris Brown, Morehouse, Clark, Spelman, Reinhardt, and Emory and include The Westminster Schools President’s home and first elementary school. His firm constructed the Mikell Chapel at the Cathedral of St. Philip, and an expansion of Peachtree Presbyterian Church and the William Bremen Jewish Home. Known for high-rise residential towers, his company built Park Place on Peachtree, and many corporate office buildings and retail stores. He was a past President of the Georgia Branch of the Associated General Contractors. The Atlanta Chapter of the Professional Construction Estimators Association of Georgia awarded him the Golden Hammer award in 1985. In 1998 he received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from the Building Construction Program of the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech. A member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, he served for 60 years in many leadership roles, including Staff Parish Committee, Lay Leader, Trustee and Chairman of the Administrative Board. He was an active member of the Friendship Sunday School Class. Mr. Barge was a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts and always proudly said, “I am an Eagle Scout” and received the Silver Beaver award in 1991. Mr. Barge, one of the founding members of the Board of the George West Mental Health Foundation, worked in support of the Foundation and Skyland Trail since 1982.

Other institutions and organizations have also benefited from his keen business mind, expansive wisdom and boundless good humor. These include Reinhardt University (Trustee for 40 years), the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association (Past Trustee), the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta (Past President) and the Florence Crittendon Home (Past Trustee). He was recognized as the 1992 Honoree of the Buckhead Boys. Mr. Barge was a 71 year member of the Capital City Club, and a member of the Piedmont Driving Club, the Greater Atlanta Georgia Tech Club, ANAK Society, Diamond “T” member, the Breakfast Club (former Ace), Men’s Investment Club (former President), the Racket Club (past President) and the Loose Group. Mr. Barge enjoyed travel with his wife Betty to all the continents and had the opportunity to meet people such as Ambassador Shirley Temple Black and Lech Walesa. He also enjoyed the family home at Lake Rabun. Mr. Barge is survived by his wife, Betty Fleetwood Barge. He enjoyed their four children, Otis Alvin Barge III (deceased) and his wife Thu, John Milton Barge and his wife Olivia, Kelly Smith Barge and his wife Anne, and Betsy Barge Birkholz and her husband Roger, and their 11 grandchildren, Betty Phan Barge (Sean) Coy, Jonathon (Sarah) Barge, Britney Barge, Brooks (Libby) Barge of New York, NY, Chris (Erin Koenig) Barge of Boulder, CO, Katie Barge (Jeremy) Paris of Washington DC, Ben Barge and Sam Barge of Atlanta, Carson (Moliehi) Weitnauer of Boston, MA, John Weitnauer and Anna Weitnauer and 7 great-grandchildren, Al, Parker and Ané Coy, Peyton and Abigail Barge, all of Atlanta, and Ellery and Milo Barge of Boulder, CO.

Mr. Barge was predeceased by his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Schroder and Dorothy Belle Eros, brothers-in-law, Argyle Crockett, William Schroder, his brother-in-law, John Fleetwood and his wife, Jane. They enjoy their extended family including brother-in-law T. Eros and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at Westview Cemetery on Saturday, the fifth day of March at ten o’clock in the morning. A celebration of his life will be held at noon on Saturday at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church with a reception to follow in the Fellowship Hall; services officiated by Dr. Bill Britt, Dr. Don Harp, and Dr. Betsy Lunz.