Jack Barber

Jackie Charles "Jack" Barber, age 77, of West, passed away Thursday, April 23, 2026 at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

A Memorial Service will be held 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West, with Rev. Terry McElrath officiating. Military Honors will be conducted by West Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive visitors from 9:30 until Noon at the West VFW hall and from noon until start of service at the funeral home.

Jack was born on August 7, 1948, in Waco, TX to Wanda Koon and Willard "Pusky" Barber. Jack graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1967 and entered the US Army that same year. He fought in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970 and after leaving Vietnam, Jack served in many different roles in many different places throughout the world, earning the rank of Master Sergeant before retiring in 1989. In 1992 Jack was united in marrage to Dianalynn Kopecky in Las Vegas Nevada. After retiring from the Army, he began a second career as a long-haul truck driver, working for various companies like Central Freight Lines, FFE, Sherwin Williams, and Saia Freight Lines before retiring from truck driving in 2003 after a successful stint driving for Walmart. His service to others would continue after retirement from his second career as he would take his love for barbecuing and start a catering business which would eventually turn into a standalone bar and grill called Jack and Diane BBQ and Burgers, which successfully operated until Jack and Diane retired for good in 2008.

In his retirement days, Jack traveled the country many times over, whether it be for the Sturgis motorcycle rally yearly with his wife, sons, and brother, or for the many fishing and hunting trips for another cause he loved so dearly - the Paralyzed Veterans of America. He participated in the PVA Bass Fishing Tour and was the PVA Angler of the Year in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and also served as a representative for the PVA at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Jack was referred to as the "Mayor of PVA Bass Fishing" and loved being on tour with his fellow competitors and friends. On top of traveling and fishing, he loved to cook, play dominoes and cards, hunt, and be the life of the party anywhere and everywhere he was going. Jack was loved and respected by the many people that he touched throughout the course of his life.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Gladys and Herman Thedford and Charles Willard Barber and Ollie Lowe; his parents, Wanda Koon and Willard Barber; his brother, Ronald "Ronnie" Barber; and a grandchild, Dustin Collier.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 34 years, Diane Barber of West; his children, Rick Barber and wife Amber of Ennis, Jackie (JC) Barber Jr. of West, Jessica Castillo and fiancée Heath Loewe of Gatesville, and Chris Barber and wife Brandie of West; step-children, Debbie Holstine and husband Jeff of Magnolia, Travis Burman of West, and Amy Dominick and husband Marcus of Covington; his grandchildren, Bryleigh and Bryker Castillo, Brantley and Bailor Loewe, Zachary Barber, Kennedy Starkey and husband Hunter, Abbiegail, Attie, and Emma Barber, Emily Horn and husband Lane, Stephanie and Mikey Burman, Parker Norton, and Christopher Rochelle; great-grandchildren, Keira and Kendall Collier; brother Denver Koon and wife Jennifer; sister Queiva Richardson; many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jack's memory to either VFW Post 4819 in West, TX, or to the Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass Fishing Tour at pva.org.