Thomas Russell Barnes

Thomas Russell Barnes, 69, of Gadsden, passed away on Monday, April 27, 2015. He had an unparalleled love for life and adventure.Family will receive friends this evening, April 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Collier-Butler Funeral Home in Gadsden, Ala. Burial to follow at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, AL at 2 p.m.He was born to Alice and Frank Barnes on June 24, 1945. He graduated from Baldwin County High School, earned an Associate Degree from Gadsden State Community College and was just short of a degree from the University of Alabama.He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served his country for eight years in the U.S. Air Force. He was a retired Information Management Officer for the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service, with 21 years of service.While with the Department of State, he served tours to Mexico City, Mexico; La Paz, Bolivia; Ottawa, Canada; and Kiev, Ukraine. While in Mexico City, he traveled a regional territory that was comprised of Central America and the Caribbean, as well as secondary coverage of the South American countries of Ecuador, Paraguay and Brazil. He also traveled to Germany, France, Finland and Austria.He loved to travel, to meet new people and to experience their cultures, as well as their cuisine and alcohol.He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his three children, Tim Brown(wife, Susan) of Woodstock, Ga.; Melissa LaBonte of Phoenix, Ariz.; and Marsha Barnes of Attalla, Ala.; as well as his three grandsons, Devin Brown, Albert LaBonte and Liam Brown. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and two brothers.Memorials to the American Cancer Center and to Glioblastoma Research, as well as not voting for Hillary Clinton.Condolences may be made at www.collier-butler.com.