Charles W. Barbour

November 7, 1951  –  July 6, 2026

Charles W. Barbour — known affectionately as “Doby” — passed away on July 6, 2026, at the age of 74. Born November 7, 1951, in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the only son of Alma Naomi (née Braswell) and Willie Charles Barbour, among four daughters.

Raised in faith and baptized at Liberty Hill Baptist Church, Charles was a lifelong learner whose curiosity ran wide — from woodworking and electronics to photography, drafting, and computing. He graduated from Glenville High School in 1970 and studied engineering at Cornell University. He then served in the United States Marine Corps, rising to Sergeant and earning the USMC Rifle Expert badge and the National Defense Service Medal before his honorable discharge in 1975.

Charles spent five decades in technology, working at the Xerox Corporation — where he met Norma, whom he married on January 1, 1982 — and later serving as an IT and Network Manager for Cuyahoga County’s Juvenile Court. Charles was never a man to be defined by a job title. He loved carpentry and rebuilt family homes with his own hands, ran his own business, Alpha Group Business Technologies, Inc., and gave generously to his community through the NAACP, his ward’s Democratic Party, police-community relations, and more.

Organized “to a T,” sharp in debate, and unfailingly dependable, Charles showed his love through service. He was the one everyone called — the mentor, the fixer, the steady hand in a crisis. Time softened the demanding father into a doting grandfather; once a strict disciplinarian, he became the beloved “candy man,” delighting in his grandchildren without reservation.

A devoted man of faith, Charles came to the Lord after years of Bible study at First Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon, Superintendent of Sunday School, and on the Mission Board. In his own words: “The most important thing I have learned in my life is the will of God.”

Charles was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Yvonne “Evie” Clay and Patricia “Patsy” Carraway. He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of nearly 45 years, Norma; his children, Leslie (Alvin) Garner, Charles W. Barbour II, and Nicolette Barbour, MD; five grandchildren, Kennedy, Alvin “Van” III, Charles “Trip” III, Caden, and Phillip; his sisters, Maxine Barbour (Charles Bailey) and Brenda Barbour; his best friends, Robert Bivins and Lynice Willis. He is also lovingly remembered by his Aunt Inez (Clifton) Johnson, Aunt Gloria (Louis, deceased) Barbour, Aunt Dora (George, deceased) Barbour, daughter-in-law Cynthia Barbour, and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family, and dear friends.

It was a Very Good Trip…

Zoom…  Zoom…