Robert Hardy Barnes M.D.

Robert Hardy BARNES, MD The death of Bob Barnes on March 29th has left his family & friends reminiscing & celebrating 91 years of a life worth remembering & honoring. Bob was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 25th, 1919 to Eva Agner & Robert Hardy Barnes, Sr. When he was only ten years old his family suffered a terrible tragedy. A pact of secrecy was made, which ultimately affected every aspect of his life. In his early years, Bob's precociousness, hard work & personality helped him excel. He was an Eagle Scout at 13. He graduated from high school at 16 & was accepted as a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. At 20, he began studying medicine at the Medical College of Virginia. In 1943 he moved to Seattle for an internship at Virginia Mason Hospital but his residency was delayed due to World War II. Because of his military & medical training, Bob served with the US Army Medical Corps as a psychiatrist, treating soldiers returning from combat. Following the War, he returned to Seattle & completed his residency. In 1948, he met, wooed & married June Yeakel, all within the span of six months. Their love story continued for 57 years until June's death in 2005. Like many doctors of his generation, Bob set up a private practice & also made house calls to those in need, never asking for an insurance card before treating his patients. He was a healer who loved his work. He also became a pioneer in the field of quality assurance of medical care in hospitals & was recognized nationally for his vision. When he learned about Hospice, he was one of the practitioners who helped introduce it to Seattle. It was in his 70th year that Bob's life took a dramatic change. He began an intense training course in Clinical Pastoral Education, wanting to become a spiritual guide to patients with a special emphasis in ministering to the dying & their families. At a retreat, each person was asked to tell their life story & for the first time Bob confronted & revealed his shameful family secret: his father had committed suicide during the Great Depression. The burden of this secret was finally released. By facing his own loss, he became a more whole human being who worked, suffered, loved & grieved with the people he served. He also wrote a powerful memoir entitled The Good Doctor Is Naked: Finding the Human Beneath My Mask. In spite of, or perhaps because of his early tragedy, Bob Barnes' life was rich with family, friends, travels & an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He was a prankster, reveling in his own childishness. He loved to dance & play his harmonica & make people laugh. His passion for fun was legendary. His family includes his daughters: Julie Barnes Morrison (Bob); Debbie Barnes Blethen (Marc Dijulio) & Tucker Barnes; his grandchildren: Kerry Blethen Quinn (Rafe); Sara Barnes; Andrew Morrison (Christine) & Courtney Blethen Riffkin (Jay) and two great grandchildren; his sister: Sally Moore Link & his dear friend Michele Edelman, with whom he shared joy & love his last five years. Our family is grateful for the love & attention of all of his caregivers this past year, including his Hospice nurse from Swedish Visiting Nurse Services. Donations in Bob's memory might be given to this organization or to any Hospice group of your choice. A service honoring & celebrating Bob Barnes life will be held atSt. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle on April 15th at 2:00 p.m.