ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702170082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
HE'S BEEN CALLED the ``visionary'' and ``driving force'' of the Family Foundation.
Walt Barbee has made it his unofficial job to promote conservative social policies since 1977, even though he's never earned a penny for his efforts. The father of five organized opposition that year to the sex education curriculum being taught in Prince William County schools.
``It was based on the premise that children are not different from animals, that sexual urges are there, and the best you can do is give them tools so they'll have as few pregnancies as possible,'' Barbee said.
``We were not opposed to sex education. Our families wanted the teaching of abstinence.''
While doing battle in Prince William County, Barbee became aware of dozens of other groups of evangelical activists spread across the state.
``We were like a bunch of pingpong balls you could throw against the wall,'' Barbee said. "We made a lot of noise but we didn't have any impact."
In early 1986, he and associate Anne Kincaid organized a meeting of the groups in the back of a Richmond pancake house. There, they merged into an organization that, after a few name changes, evolved over the years into the Family Foundation.
The organization has become a labor of love for Barbee, 63, a grandfather of seven who retired a few years ago after a long career as an American Airlines pilot. Retirement means he's free to put in more than 70 hours a week devouring thick governmental reports, writing detailed position papers, directing operations, speaking around the state and holding workshops to teach members how to lobby.
Barbee said he does his best work in the quiet hours after midnight sitting in front of a computer in his basement. He has put at least $13,000 of his own money into the organization.
``Walt has always been the visionary and the driving force of the foundation,'' said Elizabeth Smith, who serves on the group's board of directors. ``He has immense integrity and because of that, people who don't agree with the organization will still listen to Walt.''
Added Del. Robert McDonnell, R-Virginia Beach, who maintains close relations with the foundation: ``Walt brings a tremendous amount of maturity and understanding to issues. He's very sincere and very committed to his cause and tries to win people over on moral persuasion.''
Barbee was born on a Wake County, N.C., farm. Navy service brought him to Virginia in 1957. In the mid-60s, he spent four years stationed in Virginia Beach working in the fleet computer programming center. He eventually retired as a Navy captain after nine years of active duty and 13 years in the reserves.
Over the years, he has tried his hand in business ventures as an Amway salesman and running a boxwood nursery from his landscaped home in Mason's Neck.
Barbee, who attends a nondenominational evangelical church in Manassas, seldom brings his religious beliefs into the discussion of an issue. Although he acknowledges his views are ``informed by Christian belief,'' he prefers to keep the two things separate.
``Reporters don't ask Karen Raschke what her religious beliefs are,'' said Barbee, referring to the lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of Virginia.
``We work with all kinds of people and never ask that question,'' he said. ``We are a pro-family group, and we are willing to work with anyone who is willing to work with us.''
Rather than discuss theology, Barbee, a math major when he was at the University of North Carolina, prefers to deal with logic. He constructs his arguments like a geometrical proof, offering a litany of statistics to back up each step toward his conclusion.
For example, he often correlates the increase in state spending on public schools with a decrease in scores on standardized tests. ``By any objective standard of investment and return, there's something wrong with the equation,'' he said. ``If we were businessmen, we'd be firing people over this.''
The bottom line, said Barbee, is that he's just trying to leave a better world for his grandchildren. On his computer, he has devised a complex matrix to illustrate his belief that society has grown increasingly selfish and unstable and may be on the road toward ``anarchy or totalitarianism.''
``What I see is that we have drifted so far from our standards and moorings that I don't know if we can get back,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: IAN MARTIN\Landmark News Service. Walt Barbee, a retiredby CNBpilot, puts in about 70 hours each week for the organization.
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