H. Dewitt Barnett

GREENSBORO — H. DeWitt Barnett, 91, of 6100 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, N.C., died Monday, February 16, 2009, at Wesley Long Community Hospital in Greensboro.

A memorial meeting in the manner of Friends (Quakers) will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, at Friends Homes West, Greensboro, N.C.

He was born in Shanghai, China, on September 13, 1917, the son of the late Eugene E. Barnett and the late Bertha Smith Barnett. DeWitt was a graduate of the Shanghai American School and the Webb School of California, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1940. He volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1941 and trained at Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth, N.J., served with the Signal Intelligence Service in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippine Islands. Honorably discharged in 1945, he served from 1946-1965 on staffs of YMCAs in Rochester, N.Y., Jersey City, N.J. and New York City. He joined the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1955.

From 1965-1972, he served as Quaker International Affairs Representative in East Asia for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and as director of AFSC's Japan Unit based in Tokyo, Japan. In 1972, he became consultant on People-to-People Relations With China, for the East Asia Department of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and was based in Hong Kong. In 1982, he and his wife retired. They lived on O'ahu, Hawai'i where he was an active volunteer for the Wai'anae Community Health Center, the Hawai'i AFSC, and as a clerk of Honolulu Friends Meeting. He previously had served as clerk for Friends Meeting in Montclair, N.J. and Hong Kong. In 1994, he and his wife moved from Honolulu to Greensboro where they became residents of Friends Homes West and members of Friendship Friends Meeting. During that time, he served on the AFSC International Division Executive Committee, was a member of the AFSC Corporation, served on the Board of Trustees of New Garden Friends School and as clerk of its Diversity Committee. He was a devoted member of Friendship Friends Meeting. He was married to Rebecca Magill on September 1, 1945 and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2005 with a family gathering at Rockwood, Dublin, Va.

Surviving are his wife, Rebecca Barnett; daughter, Gail; sons, Peter and wife, Barbara; and grandsons, Christopher and Ryan of Charlotte, N.C., John and wife, Kerry; and grandson; Miles, of Richmond, Va., Andrew and wife, Nena Escobar of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., James and wife, Mei Hua, of Hong Kong; and sister, Eugenia B. Schultheis, Arlington, Va.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the New Garden Friends School, 1128 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, the AFSC, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 and Friends Homes West Assistance Fund, 6100 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410.

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