Charles Timothy Barkley

Charles Timothy “Tim” Barkley, 73, of Greensboro, NC — musician, artist, designer, beloved husband, faithful brother, and loyal friend — breathed his last breath on Saturday, July 27, 2024. Acute myeloid leukemia took his life.

Tim was born in Newton, North Carolina. His parents, now deceased, were Earl Lee Barkley and Alma Louise Bowen Barkley.

Tim attended Newton-Conover High School where he was a snare drummer in the marching band. On weekends he was the drummer in rock’n’roll bands that played for proms, parties, and dances. (He once opened for Jerry Lee Lewis.) He also had an interest in architecture, and with a deft hand, won first place in a statewide drafting contest.

He graduated from high school in 1968, then enrolled in the intense five-year architecture program at NC State University. He studied under founding dean Henry Kamphoefner, a champion of modernist architecture. Rather soon, however, one of his professors said something like, “Tim, you are elegantly proficient in your presentations, but you don't seem to care how your buildings stand up.” Tim switched his focus to design.

But he remained active in music, adding bluegrass to his repertoire. He traded in his trap set for a flute — “easier to carry” — and bought his first banjo.

Tim took a break from college later and joined his rock'n'roll / bluegrass friends to seek world-renowned musical status. Eventually, he moved to Bowling Green, KY, which was close enough to Nashville, but far enough for lower rents. His dreams of fame faded slowly, and he hedged his bets by taking classes at Western Kentucky University. Then he returned to the School of Design at NC State where he earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in product design with a visual design concentration.

Tim later landed a position in Catawba County designing and producing large scale murals in public schools through Third Century Artists, a federally sponsored program. He also painted the Red Devil on the basketball court of his old high school.

In 1979, Tim went to work at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro as a multimedia designer in the Instructional Resource Center. He partnered with faculty to produce classroom media (graphics, photographs, videos, etc.) and to support faculty research (graphs, poster sessions, book covers, etc.).

While at UNCG Tim met Miriam Corn Holland, the editor of the alumni magazine, and later, director of university publications. Their parallel career interests led them to a professional partnership that, in time, resulted in a 1987 wedding in the UNCG Alumni House.

Twenty-plus years ago, Tim and several Greensboro musician friends formed a band, The Alley Rabbits. When asked about its genre, Tim would say, “Aging Hippie Acoustic Folk-Grass.” Tim was once described as the metronome of the band due to his keen sense of rhythm.

Tim retired from UNCG in 2006 and began his second career as a photographer for visual artists, documenting their works for portfolios, juried shows, and print reproduction.

Tim and Miriam loved their cats, marveled at good design, enjoyed fine dining, traveled domestically and abroad, and above all, cherished their families and friends.

Mourning relatives include the love of Tim’s life, his devoted wife of thirty-seven years, Miriam Corn Barkley of Greensboro, NC; older brother Patrick Lee Barkley (Peggy Kanska Barkley) of Raleigh, NC, and Kingsford, MI; younger brother John Phillip Barkley of Raleigh, NC; nephew Phillip Jason Barkley (Rebecca Sears Barkley) and their children, Eva Louise Barkley and Joseph Costner Barkley, all of Fuquay-Varina, NC; nephew John Coleridge Barkley of Raleigh, NC, son of John Phillip Barkley; and many loving cousins and their families.

A Celebration of Life will be at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at the Alumni House, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Memorial contributions may be made to NC State University, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, or any charitable organization that supports the arts, public education, a healthy environment, or the fair and humane treatment of all people and animals.