Diane P. Barker

Diane P. Barker of White Plains, MD transitioned March 11, 2026.

Diane Patricia Watkins Barker, 78, a longtime Washington, D.C.resident, and federal government employee, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026, after battling a long illness.

Diane was born in Washington and attended D.C. public schools, graduating in 1965 from McKinley Tech, where she sang in the concert choir and formed lasting friendships.

In 1967, she entered into a marriage and from that union had two children, Diane E. Barker and Stanley C. Barker Jr.

Diane studied at D.C. Teachers College and later earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Strayer University.

In her decades-long career, she was a finance employee for the D.C. Police Department, a dispatch operator for Georgetown University, and a staffer in the finance department of the EPA. With her strict work ethic and dedication to efficiency and accuracy, she earned many honors over the years. An idea she submitted for a marketing poster garnered her an award from the Federal Information Center. One of her early jobs satisfied her love of children, education, and the arts: working with special-needs children at Sharpe Health School.

Diane’s involvement with the arts was lifelong. Her singing experience included being part of a 1960s girl group, the Jamettes, whose soulful vocals delighted crowds at events in the D.C. area. She was a member of the Senior Choir at Shiloh Baptist Church, and each year looked forward to participating in its presentation of Handel’s Messiah. One of her other favorite holiday events was the Nutcracker, which she enjoyed sharing with her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

In addition to her musical talents and interests, Diane was a fan of the written word. She enjoyed reading and writing, and from an early age found poetry a fitting medium for her reflections. She recited one of her poems, Taps, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Diane lived for the refined elements of life. One of her many explorations led her to Paris, where she discovered the real-life art and artifacts she had read and dreamed about. She shared these stories with her mom, who listened patiently for hours of her travels, poetry, and many other plans and dreams. Diane’s love for her family led her to preach education as a way of becoming well-rounded and financially stable throughout their lives.

In addition to her children, survivors include her grandchildren, Natasha, Dakota, Jordynn, and Tobias; great-grandson, Stefon; brother, Charles O. Hall; sisters, Elaine Watkins, Miriam W. Tarver, and Regina Smith; and a host of other relatives and friends. She was predeceased by her parents, James P. Watkins Sr. and Edith A. Watkins, and three brothers, Booker, James and Richard Watkins.

Friends may visit with the family Friday, March 27 from 10 am until time of funeral service at 11 am at Shiloh Baptist Church, 1510 9th Street NW Washington, DC. Interment immediately to follow at National Harmony Memorial Park, Landover, MD.