David Barkus

I remember David very well from my days waitressing at the old Rennebohm Drug Store soda fountain (1971-72). There would be clusters of men who’d spend the evenings debating the issues of the day, over endless cups of coffee. We didn’t mind: they added to the general “ambience.” And of course, all the high school girls who worked the lunch counter had mad crushes on David. Oh, those blue eyes! Years later I would see him at different places around town, still handsome, always surrounded by people who wanted to hear what he had to say. As I recall, the conversations were always friendly. David exuded an “aura” of peace: there was just something about him. I’m happy to know he had such a loving family, right up to the end of his life on earth!

Here's another one, if no one minds. Dave and I along with Paul Friedman hitchhiked in the early summer of 1971 to Boston, then Maine and back. Hitchhiking then was relatively safe and the highways were littered with "boomers" coming of age and heading out on the road. One of the most memorable rides had the three of us packed into the rear seat of a 1968 Mercury Cougar, all the way from Erie PA to Albany NY. One ride, perhaps one stop along the way. How we fit can only be explained by the fact that we were young. We managed to get down East to Maine, eat fresh lobster and red potatoes, then return. In Cambridge MA, Paul went on his way to New York while Dave and I headed West. Within the year Dave was hitchiking to Colorado and out to San Francisco, either with or to visit his brother Pat. Mike had already been living in Ohio, and Dave stopped in during the Eastern tour. Dave came back from San Francisco amazed about two things: he was able briefly to work for a leather shop and he was able to attend some sessions at the community college -- "It's free! It doesn't cost anything! College is free in San Francisco!" he exclaimed. He was adventurous there, Dave went west and I stayed on the 90-94 path exclusively. In the summer of 1987 Dave and I recapitulated the eastern route as I was driving back to New England. We enjoyed the ride together until I left him in Lorraine to visit his other brother, Mike. It broght out memories that warm me to this day. So does 1971, for I can still see us standing at the Cambridge-Allston entrance to the Mass Pike as if it was yesterday. Dave and I took one other short road trip together in the Summer of 1995, or so. I too had spent early childhood in LaCrosse and LaCrescent but had not returned since then, 1959. We decided to drive up and have a look around. The trip was fabulous in shaking a child's memory -- easy to find Losey Blvd, Grand Dad Bluff, and the apple orchards of LaCrescent -- and all as recalled from childhood without the distortion of size brought on by adulthood. We went to a tavern at the base of Grand Dad Bluff, sandstone with the characteristic Old Style signs out front. We went in, had a couple of "taps" as we once did at Mickey's on Willamson, congratulated our success and drove back to Madison.

I wrote about meeting Dave and sharing books and ideas on another site. I included a picture there of Dave at an apartment on Williamson Street. In all, we briefly shared three apartments, on on Linden Ave, one on Williamson and another on Winnebago at First. Dave introduced me to Jocelyn Lehman a truly fine and literate soul whose father introduced me to Old English and historic maps. Sadly, she passed away in 2020, which I recall telling Dave to his sorrow. I in turn introduced Dave to Lou and Alice Palmer, and George A. Remington. All elderly, and somewhat infirm, Dave did what he could to help them with various tasks and chores. The attraction was philosophical -- both Palmer and Remington had degrees in Philosophy, and Remington had a doctorate in Rhetoric. After Lou passed away, Alice married the late Reverend Washington and had a bit of a late life rebirth. Dave in turn spent more time with George, who had moved to Braxton Place due to a disability. David was extremely helpful to George -- a man who could be rather cantankerous. George had written a novel called "The Blue Tennies" and Dave was about one of three persons in the world who actually read it, and perhaps the only person to enjoy it. George confided to me, prior to his death in 1988, that he owed Dave a great debt for his aid. In turn, Dave brought up the Blue Tennies on the phone from time to time in large part because the protagonist so fully resembled the young Dave on a quest for compassionate understanding through poetry, music and spiritual exploration. Dave was a well known denizen of Williamson Street, having almost captured the market on finding great books, great records and remarkable clothing at "St Vinny's" and befriending both Mona Bouleware at the Way House of Light, and Liz Waz and Miekel And, who exhibited Dave's work in their gallery Twa Dogs and published his book "Philoontosophy" under the Xoxial Editions imprint. He was also conversant with the late Simon Sparrow, particularly at a time when Sparrow resided on Williamson at the Way House of Light. It should not go without saying that one of the greatest influences on Dave was his father, Ed Barkus, from whom Dave gained an interest in magic, in athletics (Dave was a junior high basketball player and later on quite a yoga practitioner), in encounter groups, and in monastic spirituality.

Late 60's Dave in his brown coudrey suit coat and philosophy books

I had the pleasure of knowing David back in the 80s. I remember his book he wrote in Leprechaun. He was a kind and gentle soul.Rest in peace my old friend.