Final Salute

Gary Fletcher Barnes (July 25, 1945-May 21, 2022) was the first of six children born to Vernon “Bud” and Dorothy “Susie” Barnes in Colfax and raised in nearby Garfield, WA. Growing up in the Palouse Country, Gary was active with the local 4H club, and spent his time helping on the family wheat farm and camping and hunting on the Palouse river with his brothers and cousins, then later with his kids as well. He loved life on the farm and raised chickens, pigs, rabbits, and bees, and was on a first-name basis with the family herd of Herefords. Gary had an incredible work ethic, when the family moved to Astoria, OR in 1961, Gary was given the job of rounding up and managing the cattle, building fences, and all things to do with the farm. Rather than taking part in the opening day of the fishing season (much to the disappointment of his younger brother Bob assigned to help him), Gary enjoyed his farming chores and never missed a day of work. Four days after graduating from Astoria High School in 1964, Gary enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to the Construction Battalion, or the Seabees, who were responsible for building all the infrastructure before the other units arrived on location. He told stories about volunteering for every detail that came along, and his service cultivated his love for building and construction. His three tours in Vietnam had a profound impact on his life and he used the knowledge he learned there later in his construction business and was also active in his local VFW Seabee group up until his passing. After his discharge, Gary moved to Spokane where he worked in construction and later started his own company. The Spokane Valley and the surrounding areas, including North Idaho and Schweitzer Mountain, are all dotted with homes and buildings he built with his crew. Gary was known for his conversational nature and could walk into any room and make friends. He loved getting to know people, talking politics, and helping his neighbors and family. Gary was not hesitant to knock on the neighbor’s doors to meet them and make friends. He was a man of action and a natural problem solver, and always the first person to offer to help, be it on the side of the highway in a car accident, building or repairing something around the home, or driving across the country to help one of his kids move. When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed reading, hunting, camping, skiing, and summers on the lake with the family and his boat. Later in life, he would often be found sitting or napping by the wood stove in his shop. Gary was a father to his two sons and later to his four stepchildren. On September 28th, 1996, he married his wife Tami, and they enjoyed 26 years together first living in Liberty Lake, and then later buying an 1898 farmhouse on Pleasant Prairie. It was there that he was most at peace. He spent every day rebuilding the home, working in the garden, caring for Tami’s sheep, and tending his honeybees. His favorite time of day was relaxing in the “park” and enjoying the shade trees and afternoon sun. He loved his family and in later years often reminisced about how lucky he was to have so many children and loved being a “papa” to his grandkids. Although he was an avid worker, he loved to teach and made sure to try and pass on his knowledge and skills to each of his kids. Gary is survived by his wife, Tami, his children, Gary (Heidi) Barnes, Jeremy Barnes, Heidi Miner, Christopher Miner, Cameron Miner, and Shannon (Daniel) McCanna, his four grandchildren, and his great-grandson. Funeral services will be held at Center Place Regional Event Center (2426 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216) on Friday, June 3, 2022, at 2:00 pm, with a reception to follow.
Published by Spokesman-Review on May 29, 2022.