Ira Otis Barton

Ira Otis Barton was born May 23, 1930 in Decatur, Arkansas. He was the son of Mary Juanita Amos and Carl Barton. He is survived by his wife, Lela B. Lee of Frisco, TX, his 4 children, Richard Carl Barton, Mary Belinda Barton, Carol Barton and Deanna Barton all of Santa Rosa, CA., 1 brother, Clyde Banfield of Frisco, TX, 2 step-daughters, Janice Lee of Tulsa, OK and Marsha Butler of Prosper, TX. He is also survived by numerous loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Ira served in the United States Navy from 1950-1954, serving in the Korean War as a radio repairman on the USS Sarsi. She performed her towing services until she was sunk during Typhoon Karen in August of 1952 by a drifting naval mine off the coast of Korea. After hitting a mine, the Sarsi sunk, leaving the men to tread water for more than 12 hours before being rescued. Five brave men lost their lives. During his military service he earned the National Defense, United Nations and Korean Service with Bronze Star ribbons.

Ira retired from the California Highway Dept., and also worked as an engineer on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System which starts in Prudhoe Bay and stretches through rugged and beautiful terrain to Valdez, the northern most ice-free point in America.

His hobbies included a lifetime love for ham radio operations. He was an excellent dancing partner and loved to cook spicy food. Being passionate about motorcycles, NASCAR, San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants, he and Lela took a cross country motorcycle trip from Oklahoma to California and back again loving every minute of it.

Planting and gardening were favorite pastimes, along with feasting on oysters on the half shell and Dungeness crab at Tides Restaurant in Bodega Bay, California. And don’t forget about the fun time at the casinos! His favorite dogs were LaPorte and Sparky.

He will always be remembered as a thoughtful gift giver with a dry sense of humor and will always be loved.

Services will take place in Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Fort Gibson, OK at a later date.