Robert E. Lt. Col. USAF BARNES

BARNES, Robert E. Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) Lieutenant Colonel Robert Edward Barnes, USAF (Retired), 95, passed away on Monday 16 November at his residence in Liberty Lake, Washington. Bob and his three brothers Richard (Dick), John (Jack) and William (Bill) were raised in a very religious household by their parents Earl and Mary Barnes in Western Washington. Bob attended Garfield High School outside of Seattle and enjoyed playing football, but his senior year was interrupted when he joined the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was quickly inducted into the pilot training program as a cadet and earned his wings as a fighter pilot. After the war, he joined his brother Dick to fly crop-dusters in Central Washington. Bob later attended Washington State University where he met his future wife, Joan Durham. Shortly after their marriage, Bob was recalled to military service in the United States Air Force and transitioned into F-86 Sabre jet aircraft before going to Korea. After Korea, he stayed in the Air Force and later served in Vietnam. Upon his retirement at Fairchild Air Force Base, he again went back to flying crop-dusters in Eastern Washington with his friend Lee Swain. Bob and Joan had four children, Jim, Mary Sue, Ken and Bobbe. Besides his passion of flying, he was an avid outdoorsman, a loving husband, brother, father and son. Bob was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Joan, brother Jack and daughter Mary Sue. He is survived by his brothers Dick and Bill; daughter Bobbe; sons Jim and Ken; four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and one great great-grandchild. The family requests that in lieu of flowers memorial donations be sent to the Homes for our Troops charity organization.