John D. Barnes, 87, died Wednesday, October 16 at Toledo Hospital. Born in Columbiana, Ohio, on February 25, 1932, he grew up in Lisbon and Salem, Ohio, graduating from high school and entering the Marine Corps in 1950; he became an EOD specialist, served on a destroyer for a tour in the Mediterranean, and saw combat in 1952-3 in Korea, serving until 1955. He earned a BS in Civil Engineering at Tri-State College (now Triune) on the GI Bill, and was employed by Factory Mutual for 32 years as a loss prevention engineer, inspecting thousands of industrial facilities and investigating hundreds of fires, floods, roof collapses and other industrial property losses in Ohio and Michigan.
His interests and activities were diverse, numerous, and passionate. He was a Detroit Tiger and Ohio Buckeye fan, a prolific watercolorist, a regular backstage hand and bit player for the Black Swamp Players, a Presbyterian deacon and trustee, an award-winning hobby winemaker, the one who always brought home-made ice cream to meetings of the Circle of Light, an avid reader of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, a volunteer for meals on wheels and for church missions to build homes in rural Maine and Appalachia, and a proud organic gardener who once grew a two hundred pound pumpkin. At the time of his death he was still active, independent, and involved — a frequent donor to more than a dozen charities and half a dozen political causes, still doing heavy yard work every week, always going to new places and meeting new people, and a regular most mornings at Grounds for Thought.
He is survived by his sons, John A. Barnes of Northglenn, Colorado, and Jeffrey E. Barnes of Bowling Green; brothers-in-law John Hoopes of Indianapolis and James Hoopes of Boston; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his friend and companion at many activities, Linda Toscano. His daughter Pauline Barnes, his wife of 41 years Beverly Anne (Hoopes) Barnes, and his significant other Margaret Toscano preceded him in death.
Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans (https://secure.dav.org/donate or PO Box 14301 Cincinnati OH 45250), the Christian Appalachian Project(christianapp.org or PO Box 55911 Lexington KY 40555), or the Wood County Senior Center(wccoa.net or 305 N Main, Bowling Green OH 43402) – or to any other cause or organization you feel is worthy, because Mr. Barnes believed in doing the right thing according to your own conscience.
Memorial service will be at the First Presbyterian Church, 126 South Church Street, Bowling Green at 11 am on Saturday Oct 26. Visitation will be at 10 am before the service. Reverend David Montgomery will officiate. Arrangements have been handled by the Dunn Funeral Home.
