2019 SuburbanCares Award Winner Terry Barksdale

Meet Terry Barksdale, Propane Support Technician from our CSC7639 Indianapolis Eastside IN location. Terry has served as an employee in the propane industry for 47 years of which his last 13 has been with Suburban Propane. As our Propane Tech Support, Terry takes great pride in maintaining a well-organized and productive dock for a CSC with significant customer traffic including auto-gas and RV refilling activities. The Indianapolis, IN dock was featured in the October 2018 “Eye on Safety”. He always has a smile for the customers and knows many by name. He is an employee that enjoys his work, the peers he works with as well as the customers that he serves. When on vacation, his regulars will ask “where’s Terry” as they enjoy his quick wit and sociability. If you need a hand, Terry is always willing and seldom do you have to ask. It’s just his nature.

Beyond his life at Suburban Propane, Terry continues to have a “servant’s heart”. He has been an active volunteer on the Lawrence Fire Department in a variety of capacities. Prior to the department offering paid staff positions in the early 90s, Terry served as a volunteer fire fighter. For the past 30 years he has been an active member of the departments Firefighters Family Assistance program. It’s a program to help those less fortunate in his community. Included is a letter from the Chief outlining the service Terry has provided the department. The Chief makes a statement in his letter depicting Terry’s character when he states, “There are those people that give with one hand and expect a return with the other, Terry is just the opposite. He gives with both hands and expects nothing in return.”

In addition, Terry has a special affiliation with the Special Olympics serving as a parent, coach and mentor to the athletes with intellectual disabilities for over 38 years. Through Terry’s guidance and mentoring, his athletes have excelled in their specific fields and earned medals in their events. Terry is always there to cheer them on and never takes any of the credit for their success. His commitment to the Special Olympics is unwavering. He always finds a way to stay active, even when his own personal health issues have limited his ability to coach in all of his typical events. Special Olympics Program Coordinator, Dennis Blake states, “Through his commitment to Special Olympics he has improved the lives of hundreds of persons with intellectual disabilities and will always remain a driving force within our program.”