Ron Barnett

Ron Barnett was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Cecil and Helen Barnett. Ron was raised in Houston, TX. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Ron as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Memorial High School in 1972. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Ron was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Ron always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Ron handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Ron was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Ron was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Ron well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of St Thomas. His favorite courses were Economics and English literature. Ron was able to spend a semester abroad in England studying English literature. He often spoke about this experience and how he felt so fortunate to have had that opportunity.

Ron greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Ron enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Ron was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was an IRS Revenue Agent, following in his father's footsteps. He was employed for over 30 years. His first job out of college was in sales for Philip Morris. Eventually he went back to school for more Accounting hours so that he could become a Revenue Agent. Ron worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Ron liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Ron always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. Ron had varied hobbies and interests. He previously had a beautiful rose garden. He also was an avid duck and goose hunter, and at least once a year he would plan a hunting trip for him and Ann . Later, Ron and Ann acquired their first shetland sheepdog, soon followed by a collie, then another collie. The youngest collie, Brea, was truly devoted to Ron. Over the last year after his stroke, Brea was always by his side. Ron was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Ron found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Ron played football. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were golf and football.

Many organizations were grateful to have Ron as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Ron was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Ron was an active member of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Houston and the South Texas Collie Club.

Ron enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Ron appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Ron always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included several trips with Ann to Arkansas to stay in a lodge at the top of a mountain. As a young man, he also made several fishing trips with his father to the White River in Arkansas.

Ron was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Ron's family always had a collie as he was growing up. Laddie was the first, and was always near Ron's crib. Later was Sonny, followed by Buddy. Ann and Ron had a shetland sheepdog, Jackson, followed by 2 collies, Chrissy and Brea. Ron was Chrissy's handler in the show ring. Ron was a spectator when Brea was in the ring, and was so proud when Brea earned her Champion title.

When Ron’s retirement finally arrived in 2011, after over 30 years, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in doing whatever he wanted to do. Most of his time was spent working in the yard and having time to enjoy his dogs. Even in retirement, Ron continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Ron Barnett passed away on September 2, 2021 at HCA Houston North Cypress. Ron fought to recover and become stronger after his stroke over a year ago, but his heart was not strong enough. He is survived by his loving companion of 29 years, Ann Kutchka. Services were held at Earthman Hunters Creek. Ron was laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery in Victoria, Texas.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Ron Barnett. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

A visitation for Ron will be held Monday, September 13, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at The Hunters Creek Chapel at Earthman Funeral Directors, 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77024. A vigil and rosary will occur Monday, September 13, 2021 at 6:30 PM, 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77024. A graveside service will occur Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 2:00 PM at Memorial Park Cemetery, Victoria, Texas 77901.