William Henry Barringer

Beloved father, husband, Uncle/Tuncle, Great Uncle, passed away April 24, 2023 (age 74) at his home in Washington, DC, after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Vicki Otten; his two precious children, Erin Barringer and Daniel Barringer; as well as Erin’s partner, Mark Mazo, and Daniel’s wife, Holly Barringer. Bill was an adoring uncle to his nephews (Matthew Hosford, Joe Lux, Christopher Otten, Dylan Barringer), nieces (Diana Hosford, Lindsey Lux, Tori Otten), and great nieces (Sophia Hosford, Valentina Lux).

Bill was a fourth generation Washingtonian, born to Hood and Henry Barringer on December 3, 1948 in Washington, DC. He spent much of his childhood abroad, growing up in Colombia, Denmark, Greece and Burundi, as well as Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from Brown University in 1970 and from Georgetown Law School in 1973. Bill and Vicki wed in 1978 and he gained several sisters- and brothers-in-law (Carla, Laura and Tony). Bill and Vicki raised their family in Washington, DC. Family, friends and colleagues valued his intelligence and wit. His booming laughter was contagious. Bill loved sharing with his children and extended family his passions for traveling the world, music from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s (including his Mick Jagger imitation), great restaurants, snow and water skiing and his treasured Washington Redskins and Washington Capitals.

Bill was an international trade lawyer, beginning his career at the Washington firm of Stitt, Hemmendinger and Kennedy; he built an elite international trade group at Willkie, Farr and Gallagher and several other firms. Bill presided over the transformation of international trade law from an arcane field of law to a major force in international commercial relations. He represented clients from North America, South America, Europe and Asia, and played an important role in the establishment of the international codes that became key components of the World Trade Organization (WTO). A deeply committed internationalist, Bill worked tirelessly to preserve open markets for a wide variety of products from motorcycles to footwear and from steel to shrimp, most recently finding great fulfillment in his work in Vietnam. His penetrating insights into the deep structure of US anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws won him several groundbreaking victories before administrative agencies, US courts and the WTO.

While he traveled the world for work and on family vacations, the home his great-grandfather built in 1902 on Walloon Lake, Michigan, was his happy place. He loved dinners on the front porch surrounded by family and dear Walloon friends and spent hours in his garden, both planting and relaxing in his adirondack chair. He frequently captained cocktail cruises on the float boat and brought together friends and family from around the world (from Paris to Chicago to Georgia).

The family will host celebrations of his life both in Walloon Lake, Michigan, and in Washington, DC, later this year. In lieu of flowers, you may honor Bill with a donation to the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy. Additional details on Bill’s life can be found here: https://everloved.com/life-of/william-henry-barringer/.