“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.”

— Luke 12:48

We can think of no more sincere offering than that which is extended beyond the reach of a camera’s eye. And that is the way John Barker, a Lumberton businessman and civic leader who died Friday at the age of 70, performed his philanthropy — in private, which was the essence of this soft-spoken man who was quick with a smile and a generous word.

Barker, who was born on a Robeson County tobacco farm, got himself educated, began work as a banker and then became a millionaire many times over by building and selling an ice empire, understood innately that the true value of a dollar could be found not in gluttony, but in how it benefited one’s neighbors.

Barker helped lead Robeson County through a turbulent time, the merger of the county’s six school systems in the late 1980s that was complicated by the mix of three races. He had served on the Board of Education for the Lumberton school system, and took on the unenviable task of chairmanship of the interim board for the merged system, where his unassuming nature and willingness to carefully consider another person’s words settled rising waters.

Until shortly before his death, we know he continued to work behind the scenes to form unlikely and colorful coalitions that he believed were essential to providing a better life to all of the residents of Robeson County.

But his biggest contribution was his philanthropy.

Some of it is public, not by Barker’s wish, especially his support of Southeastern Health, whose board he served on for 20 years, including two as its chairman. There is no way to accurately measure the hand Barker played in the evolution of a local hospital into a regional health-care system, but we know it was large, through his leadership, wisdom and willingness to pen a check.

We could not write of Barker without acknowledging his love of the University of North Carolina, from which he graduated in 1967. He was an avid Tar Heel sports fan, the owner of dozens of season tickets for the football and basketball programs, and it was his habit to invite along a large circle of friends.

He established five athletic scholarships, four of which are for women’s sports, and he contributed as well to the academics, establishing the John P. Barker Distinguished professorship in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Barker offered the support without any strings. Said John Montgomery, the president of the UNC Educational Foundation, more commonly known as the Rams Club: “He did all of this in a quiet, unassuming way, and did not want or expect any attention or recognition for his generosity.”

As this newspaper went about the task of writing a story that appears in today’s edition on Barker’s death, we were told time and again — but in confidence — of Barker’s benevolence, so we must be stingy with the details. But we will say that he cast a wide net with his generosity, whether it was paying to educate a young person who otherwise would be denied the college experience, making sure his employees had a merry Christmas, or providing free ice to the faraway victims of hurricane.

Accolades are sometimes too easily offered in the wake of the death of a public figure, but in Barker’s case there doesn’t need to be any contortion of the truth. A man of devout Christian faith, he strived daily to live his life by the good book.

His will be long remembered — and his life of philanthropy is one that should be emulated by others whose hard work has been rewarded financially as was his.