David P. "Dave" Barnes Jr.

David P. "Dave" Barnes, Jr. passed away Saturday, September 13, after a long struggle with cancer. He didn't quite make it to the end of the Penn State football game, but family members who were with him agreed that perhaps they were talking too much, and he wanted to focus on his team in a quieter place. Dave was preceded in death by his father and mother, two sisters, and his second wife Hetty. He is survived by his first wife Jean, with whom he managed to shepherd three incorrigible children into productive adulthood, these being son David and wife Sandra, and their children Robert and Samantha; son Donald and wife Kathy and their son Christopher; and daughter Carla and husband Steve Clark. Also remembering Dave with love and affection are Dave's brother Jerry, who generously cared for Dave as he neared the end of his life; brother Frank and wife Anne; and sister Maggie, along with many nieces and nephews. Dave was born August 8, 1936, in Tampico Mexico. He spent most of his young life on the island of Aruba, where he developed an enduring love for the sea, the sun, and the sky. He attended Penn State University and completed his undergraduate degree at Gettysburg College. He then earned his Master's Degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He enjoyed a distinguished career with the National Weather Service, followed by nearly two decades as the Chief Meteorologist for WWL Television in New Orleans. Dave made his permanent home in Slidell, Louisiana, and enjoyed taking his boats on the bayous, and into Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. While many families crossed the country in a station wagon, Dave's kids enjoyed adventures on the high seas, though only one of them became a pirate. Dave was a founding member of the St. Tammany Yacht Club, and he served the membership with pleasure over many years, and many rib eye steaks. The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, and the Blue Team of LifePath Hospice in Tampa Florida. Their kindness and compassion for Dave and his family are sincerely and warmly appreciated. A brief memorial service and celebration of Dave's life will be held at the St. Tammany Yacht Club in Slidell, Louisiana, on Saturday, September 20, at 4:00PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to LifePath Hospice, in Tampa Florida: https://lifepathhospice.chaptershealth.org/GeneralDonation.