Chester A. “Butch” Barger, Jr., of Galveston, passed away on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in League City, Texas at the age of 78.

Butch was born to Chester and Dorothy Barger on January 20, 1947 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas.

He attended Galveston Public Schools and graduated from Ball High School in the Class of 1965.

After high school, he went to work for Houston Lighting and Power Company.  His employment was interrupted in 1968 when he was drafted into the United States Army.  He served two years and obtained the rank of Sargent (E-5).  After returning, he went back to work for HL&P which later became Reliant Energy, then CenterPoint Energy.  Butch retired after 40 years of service.

Butch enjoyed offshore fishing.  Cabo San Lucas was one of his favorite locations to visit.  He enjoyed fishing trips there with his friends for many years.  He also built several friendships in Cabo San Lucas including that of his favorite captain who he fished with for over 20 years.  He loved spending time at his ranch with his son Ricky and all their friends.  He took care of all the cooking duties no matter how many people were at the ranch and would be sure to provide direction to everyone in case they couldn’t figure out what work needed to be done.

In addition to hunting and fishing, Butch was involved with the Knights of Momus of which he was a member for many years.  He had a “Mardi Gras spirit” that lived within himself all year round, often working on parade details during the offseason.  He was good at giving direction here too (do you see a theme developing?).  Butch and Linda’s house was a meeting place for anyone who wanted to watch the Mardi Gras parades that traveled along the Seawall. Not only would friends have a place to park, but they also had a restroom, beer and food.  Some people never went to watch the parades and just stayed around their house enjoying the good company.

Butch and Linda hosted Halloween parties every year at their island home.  Friends, neighbors and family would come by to celebrate and trick-or-treat in the neighborhood.  They were also known for hosting family and friends every year on Christmas Eve.  The group grew year after year as many of the kids grew up to have their own kids.  Even if someone showed up unannounced, they were sure to get a present and a good meal, cooked almost exclusively by Butch himself.  He didn’t expect anyone to bring anything to eat (although they did), he looked forward to cooking everything leading up to the event.

This was also evident in their years of hosting a Sunday afternoon supper for anyone who wanted to come by, relax, and talk about politics, fishing, Mardi Gras or anything else happening in Galveston or around the world.  On some Sundays, there would be more than 20 people over for supper.  Once again, Butch did this because he loved to cook, but he also liked to show his deep appreciation for his friends and all that they would do for him.

He was preceded in death by his father Chester, mother Dorothy, infant son Chester A Barger, III, daughter Aimee Clifton, stepdaughter Deanna Morton and brothers Kevin Barger and John Barger.

He is survived by his loving wife of 37 years Linda, son Ricky Barger and wife Wendi of La Marque, granddaughter Madison Morton of Galveston, grandsons Christopher Clifton and Michael Clifton, granddaughter Jessica Clifton and son-in-law Christopher Morton of Omega Bay.  Surviving siblings include Linda Liberto and husband Danny of San Antonio, Susan Ingraham of Austin, Donna Hart and husband Dana of Cincinnati, Ohio, Caryn Barger-Riley of Round Rock, Mandie Schell of Austin and Danielle Taylor and husband Gene also of Austin.

Please remember Butch for his generosity, guidance, laughter, and willingness to help anyone that may have ever needed it.  He was sometimes stubborn and demanding when he was leading a project, but you could always guarantee the outcome of that project was going to be a success and that once it was over, he went right back to being your friend.

The family would like to thank several special people who helped along the way.  The Cottages at Clear Lake, The Shoal Rehabilitation Center in Texas City and Affinity Hospice were especially helpful providing medical assistance and comfort towards the end of Butch’s life.  Butch’s sister Mandy Schell and Ricky’s mother-in-law, Jo Ann McNeill, offered and provided much more help than anyone could have ever expected.  They helped Butch when he was at his weakest and also made sure that Linda was well taken care of.  Mark Buck, Linda’s nephew, provided much needed medical guidance when appropriate.  Friends Gary Cornett and Paul Marx were always willing to help in any way that the family needed and did so many times. Family friend Candie Lepo was always around to check on Butch and Linda.  We would also like to take the time to thank Crowder Funeral Home for their guidance and support while carrying out Butch’s wishes.

Honorary pallbearers and dear friends are Paul Marx, Paul Flick, Johnny Listowski, Johnny Ostermayer, Ronnie Elfstrom, Will “Sandy” Childress, Gary Cornett and Clifford Acosta.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to:

Knights of Momus
In Memory of Chester “Butch” Barger, Jr.
P.O. Box 2285
Galveston, Tx 77553

A Celebration of Butch’s Life will be announced at a later date.