We are sad to announce the passing of our dad, Glenn Erna Barclay of Springfield, Missouri, who died on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. He leaves behind his daughters, Shelly (Buz) Nunnally (Southern Shores, NC), Joy (Stewart) Koesten (Boynton Beach, FL), Glenda Barclay (Springfield) and Audrey Barclay (Springfield); his grandchildren, Natalie Hoskins (Murfreesboro), and Anna Adkins (RJ) (Ozark), and his great-grandchildren, Paul and Arthur Hoskins (Murfreesboro), and Rowyn and Luna Adkins (Ozark), and dozens of nieces and nephews across the country. All of whom will miss him greatly.

Dad was preceded in death by his loving wife of 73 years, Carol Lee Crabtree Barclay; his granddaughter, Leah Koesten (Nashville); his parents, Erna and Audrey Barclay of Springfield and all of his siblings, Nina Beatie, Harold Barclay, Paul Barclay, Martha Fasnacht, Wayne Barclay, Alan Barclay, Olan Barclay and Shirley Rust.

The eighth of nine children, dad was born on Saturday, July 19, 1930, shortly after the depression began. He grew up on Pierce Street in north Springfield and lived in a 3-bedroom, 1-bath house with 12 people. By all accounts they were relatively well off, all things considered. His Dad, Erna, was a Car Carpenter for the Frisco Railroad and a member of the Carman's Union Local 667 which was a stabilizing factor, and their family had a cow for milk.

Dad grew up loving to play all kinds of sports, but particularly favored baseball. And with a household of 6 boys, they were always ready to assemble a game. Dad attended Central High School in Springfield, Missouri, where he was a member of the S Club, which was composed of the lettermen of all the various athletic organizations. Dad attended Central High School where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball; he graduated in 1948.

Soon after graduation, Dad was recruited to play minor league baseball with the Chicago Cubs. In his first game, Dad struck out 21 players in a "no-hitter" sweep. Unfortunately, he blew his arm out and that was the end of his baseball career.

Dad joined Marine Reserves on September 17, 1948, around the same time he met his future wife. He had been introduced to Mom through his sister, Shirley. Shortly after they began dating, he was called to active duty in October 1950 and was stationed in San Diego, California. He always told us that mom was waiting for him at the train station, marriage license in hand, when he came home on leave in December 1950. They were married on December 17, 1950, and then returned to Camp Joseph H Pendleton in Oceanside, California. By April 1951, dad was a Private 1st Class; by July 1951 he was a Corporal. When the Koren War broke out, dad had too little time left on his enlistment to be deployed. He always felt this disqualified him from standing up as a Veteran in later years, stating he never fought in the war. He was honorably discharged in September 1951.

Upon returning to Springfield, Dad set about working as hard as he could for his new wife. He and his brother Wayne worked at a local gas station and their work ethic caught the attention of a local businessman, J W Grant. Mr. Grant was impressed by the two young men and offered to financially back the purchase of their own Skelly gas station. Within a year, Dad and Wayne paid off the original loan of $6,000 and continued to grow their business. Dad was always grateful for the generosity and confidence of Mr. Grant.

Dad and Wayne continued their partnership in business until the late 1960s, then Dad went his separate way and opened his first rental store through a United Rental franchise. Several years later, he bought out the franchise and transformed the business into Barclay's Rental and Sales.
Over the next 40 years, Dad grew the business to include four branches in Springfield, Ozark, and Branson. He sold the business in 1999.

Dad was a savvy and hard-working businessman, usually working 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. He knew his competitors by name and was quick to send customers their way when he didn't have what they needed. Dad was also quick to come to the aid of the community and was often the first one out on the streets to plow after a big storm. He ran for City Council as a Democrat in 1972 but was defeated. Still, he set the course for future generations to stay active in local politics.

Dad enjoyed bowling, tennis, golf, and watching his favorite basketball team, The Missouri State Bears. He also loved happy hour and writing silly poems to mark special occasions, like anniversaries. These poems were a source of aggravation for our mom who really didn't find them all that funny. In his later years Dad enjoyed puttering around in his garage making checker boards, clocks, and other wood items for friends and family. After Mom passed away, Dad moved into Assisted Living where he enjoyed making vases, bulls, and other things on his 3-D printer. He was very proud to say he made something for each of the other residents and that everyone knew his name.

Dad was the most hard-working individual you would ever meet. He was humble, kind and generous, sometimes to a fault. He will be sorely missed. May his memory always be for a blessing.