Barry "Bear" Lee Spitler

Barry Lee Spitler, the son of Freddie and Carol (Duling) Spitler, was born May 30, 1959, in Audubon, Iowa and died August 15, 2016, at his home in Cambridge, Iowa at the age of 57 years, 2 months, and 15 days.
Barry was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. He attended Audubon Community Schools then graduated with a GED in 1979. Barry was employed for over 12 years by Darrell and Betty DuVall construction where they installed large concrete culverts. He then was employed as a maintenance engineer for Glacier-Dana ball bearing plant in Atlantic, Iowa. This is where Barry learned how to repair air compressors which lead him to study and earn his journeyman’s designation.
On September 7, 2007, he was united in marriage to Patti Knapp at the park in Adair, Iowa. They had moved to Casa Grande, Arizona in 2003 where Barry attended the Universal Tech Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Division and became a certified Harley-Davidson motorcycle mechanic in 2004. They returned to Des Moines, Iowa and Barry was employed by Zook’s Harley-Davidson for a short time before opening his own repair shop in Cambridge. Later Barry worked at the Ethanol Plant in Nevada, Iowa for several years. He then has been a Machinery Service Tech for Delta Company for over a year.
Barry had been a member of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and a member of the Boy Scouts in Audubon, Iowa. He was a member of ABATE for over 32 years and helped organize the Toy Runs. Barry was passionate about Harley-Davidsons and loved repairing them. He enjoyed collecting insulators and was a member of the Missouri Valley Insulator Club for over five years and had served.as NIA Central Region Vice President in 2012. He loved to attend the conventions and negotiate deals with the vendors. But most of all he enjoyed being with his family especially his nieces and nephew.
Preceding him in death was his Father Freddie Spitler; and his grandparents Guy and Merle Spitler and Leonard and Betty Duling.
Survivors include his wife Patti Spitler of Cambridge, Iowa; his mother Carol Spitler of Audubon, Iowa; his sister Tammy and husband Randy Shaw of Des Moines, Iowa; nieces and nephew Erika Veach of Des Moines, Iowa, Melissa and husband Brett Kessler of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Tanner Shaw of Des Moines, Iowa; his great nieces Klarissa Veach and Amilya Veach both of Des Moines, Iowa, his aunts and uncles Phyllis and husband Jim Williams of Pleasant Hill, Iowa and Charles and wife Mary Spitler of Des Moines; his wife’s brothers and sisters; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
The Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be conducted by Pastor Doug Opp on Friday, August 19, 2016, at 11:00 A.M. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. Iurnment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon, Iowa. Honorary casket bearers will be Randy Shaw, Tanner Shaw, Brett Kessler, Lee Jensen, Gary Johnson, Tim Hansen, Tom Bluml, Greg Christensen, and Gale Wadd. The family will meet with friends on Friday morning August 19, 2016, at 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa.