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Former FMA board chairman dies

David J. Barber, 69, died Feb. 13, 2017, at Lower Cape Fear Hospice and LifeCare Center after a seven-year battle with renal cell cancer.

Barber served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971 as a personnel management specialist. He graduated from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and went on to a successful career in the machine tool industry. At the time of his retirement, Barber was president of MegaFab: Piranha-Whitney-Bertsch in Rockford, Ill. He served on the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA) board for seven years and held the position of board chairman. He also served on the board of the Salvation Army of Northern Illinois.

In 2011 Barber purchased the Wilmington Grill Co. and relocated to Wilmington, N.C.

He is survived by his wife, Di; sons Jon (Michelle), Christopher (Michelle), and Corey (Lil); grandchildren Charlie, Evie, Taylor, and Tim; brother, Dale; and sister, Carol.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to the Wilmington Grill Scholarship Fund at Cape Fear Community College to support education in manufacturing, or to a charity of your choice.