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IN LOVING MEMORY OF James Edwin Barnes
James Edwin
Barnes
Jun 30, 1957 — Apr 18, 2018
James Edwin Barnes' Obituary
James Edwin Barnes passed away
Wednesday,
April 18
th
. He was born June 30
th
1957 to A.C. and Alberta Barnes in Tulsa, OK. James is survived by his wife Maria Veliz Barnes, along with their 3 children Jamie, Maria (Sister) & Joseph, as well as his brother Alan Barnes. James is preceded in death by both of his parents. A lifelong Tulsan, James has lived a fulfilling life building his family with his wife of 33 years, raising their 3 children, and instilling lifelong lessons that he picked up throughout his life.
From a young age, James raced motorcycles with his dad and brother making lifelong friends and gaining experiences that helped to shape him into the incredible man for which he will be remembered. James was dedicated to pushing boundaries and striving to improve on every aspect of his life and he worked to teach his children that same dedication. He instilled his passion for working with machines and tinkering in his youngest son Joseph. He never hesitated to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, whether that was driving to Dallas to help Jamie work on his car, or stopping to assist a stranger on the side of the road. At any occasion, whether it was a neighborhood event or a reception at the church, James would be one of the last people to leave and would only depart once it was evident that there was nothing else he could do to help.
From a young age, James raced motorcycles with his dad and brother making lifelong friends and gaining experiences that helped to shape him into the incredible man for which he will be remembered. James was dedicated to pushing boundaries and striving to improve on every aspect of his life and he worked to teach his children that same dedication. He instilled his passion for working with machines and tinkering in his youngest son Joseph. He never hesitated to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, whether that was driving to Dallas to help Jamie work on his car, or stopping to assist a stranger on the side of the road. At any occasion, whether it was a neighborhood event or a reception at the church, James would be one of the last people to leave and would only depart once it was evident that there was nothing else he could do to help.
The day before he left us, Maria witnessed a young woman in the neighborhood struggling to change a tire. Maria called James and he tried to offer instructions over the phone but then decided to leave work and drove over to change the young woman's tire. The compassion he had for not only his family and friends, but for everyone he met was one of his most endearing qualities.
When his kids were young, James was a familiar face when it came to youth sports. For several years, he helped to coach basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball teams for all three of his children. He took great pride in being able to have a meaningful impact on not just Jamie, Sister, and Joseph but also their classmates. One of his favorite phrases to recite to all of the kids he helped coach was "repetition, repetition, repetition, do the same thing every time" in hopes that everyone would work to continue to improve and refine their actions. James' involvement with his children did not stop with youth sports; James was active with Jamie and Joseph in Boy Scouts with Troop 1, and Girl Scouts with Sister. He helped with summer jobs, going to academic bowl competitions, many science projects, and teaching all three how to drive.
James worked at McElroy Manufacturing for 18 years as an Engineering Technician. He considered it his dream job where he helped to build and test prototypes of complex machines. James was always happy machining, fabricating, assembling, and repairing anything and everything. He enjoyed researching how things were made and never walked away from the challenge of taking something apart and repairing it. James knew how to operate just about every machine in the shop and worked to run the shop efficiently by lowering operating costs and keeping machines running much longer than their projected lifespan. The engineers would often ask James for his advice on designs and how to solve a problem.
While at McElroy, he made lifelong friendships with several of his coworkers, and those relationships will continue to bless his family for years to come.
Through Maria's involvement in the community, James was able to devote much of his time and effort to helping others and serving the community through volunteering. James' caring nature was evident in his willingness to help with several events in the neighborhood and throughout the city. His impact will be lasting thanks to his giving nature and constant presence to lend a hand wherever it may be needed. Whether it was manning street barricades or setting up for the Kendall-Whittier Fourth of July Parade or decorating Whittier Square for the lights on ceremony, James was a constant when it came to basically the community
James was truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed by so many people. He was an incredible person and loved his family immensely; he will be remembered for his selfless nature and caring spirit as well as his incredible personality. There will be a void left in all of our hearts but a tremendous wealth of love and memories to cherish James for the rest of our lives.
The family will have a Rosary ceremony Monday, April 23
rd
at 7 pm at Christ the King Parish and a funeral service Tuesday, April 24
th
at 1 pm at Christ the King Parish with a reception to follow. The family has asked that in place of flower arrangements contributions be made in James' honor to Marquette Catholic School Adopt a Student Program.
To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit our flower store.
Funeral Services for James Edwin Barnes
Visitation
April
21
Saturday
Stanleys Funeral Home Chapel
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Rosary
April
23
Monday
Parish of Christ the King
Starts at 7:00 pm
Mass of Christian Burial
April
24
Tuesday
Parish of Christ the King
Starts at 1:00 pm
James Edwin Barnes' Guestbook
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