Michael Clardy Barnett

BARNETT, Michael Barnett, Michael Clardy. Michael Clardy Barnett, born February 25, 1983 to Mike and Susie Barnett in Houston, Texas, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, February 13, 2023. Michael's family moved to Dallas in 1988, and he attended Highland Park schools K-12 and loved playing baseball and basketball in his youth. Michael came to faith in Jesus at Frontier Ranch Young Life camp in high school. He graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas in 2001. Michael then attended The University of Texas, where he met the love of his life, Jessica Dunn, and knew right away that he wanted to spend his life with her. Michael and Jessica were married shortly after graduating from UT on January 28, 2006. Avid Longhorn fans, they often said January 2006 was one of the best months of their lives, as their wedding came right on the heels of UT winning the football National Championship on January 4th. Michael received his MBA from Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University before moving with Jessica to Birmingham, Alabama to attend Cumberland School of Law at Samford, where he was a member of the law review and received his JD. Upon graduation, Michael and Jessica moved back to Dallas where he practiced law before transitioning to work at Benchmark Bank, which his great grandfather founded. Michael always loved working at the bank alongside his father and brother-in-law. From a young age, Michael had a deep love of food and throughout his life, Michael's passion fueled the continued development of a profound culinary knowledge. Michael and Jessica traveled the world in search of food destinations and incredible hospitality experiences. Michael brought his experiences home to his own kitchen where he loved hosting, connecting with, and serving his friends. Driven by a desire to share what he had learned with his home city of Dallas, Michael became a restaurateur and opened his own restaurant, Homewood, in 2019. Homewood would go on to receive a 4-star review and Restaurant of the Year. A COVID-inspired hobby, learning to make tortillas from scratch, led to Michael co-founding a second restaurant, Odelay, in April 2022. Michael was the loving father of his twins, Robert Hector (RH) and Clardy Ruth, as well as his daughter, Dorothy Diana (Dot). Michael was fiercely proud of all of Clardy Ruth's many accomplishments. Always a verbose and engaging communicator, Michael loved spending hours talking with and listening to Clardy Ruth, who got her own effusiveness from her father. RH was Michael's hero. RH's bright smile, joy and infectious laughter brought out Michael's silly side; and it's impossible to know whether RH or Michael loved their wrestling matches and snuggles more. Dot shared Michael's love of food and the two of them spent hours in the kitchen from the time Dot was a baby. Baking cookies and banana bread became favorite activities as Dot got older. Michael's deep love for Jessica, who he remained steadfastly devoted to for 17 years, was evident and inspiring. His pride in Jessica was evidenced by his eagerness to praise her enthusiastically to anybody who would listen. Michael is survived by his wife Jessica, son Robert Hector and daughters Clardy Ruth and Dorothy Diana, and his beloved parents Mike and Susie Barnett. Michael loved and admired his sister, Megan Barnett Filgo, her husband Jonathan and their children Royal and Bendy. Michael was deeply loved by Jessica's family, her parents Steve and Diana Dunn, sister Mary Dunn, and brother Matt Dunn, his wife Danielle, and their daughter Lily. A service will be held at Highland Park United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 18. Memorials may be directed to Young Life (www.younglife.org), the Belong Disability Ministry at HPUMC (www.hpumc.org/impact/belong) where gifts can be made in memory of Michael and in honor of RH, as well as Casa Colina

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.TedDickeyFuneral.com for the Barnett family.