William "Tom" Barnes

Tom was born June 23, 1927, to parents Roy Herschel Barnes and Martha Jacobsen Barnes of Erin, Tennessee. He was the youngest of four brothers and a sister, who had died years earlier at age 3. Tom often recalled stroking the ears of the lamb statue on his sister’s headstone as a very young child. His family unexpectedly lost their mother a week before Tom turned 2 years old, and as a young child he stayed for periods of time with different aunts and uncles living on farms in rural Tennessee. At his Uncle Harvel’s he learned how to plow with a mule team and talked about chasing rabbits in the snow on the way to school in Tennessee Ridge. He recounted many winter mornings helping his teacher stoke the fire in the potbellied stove before school started and warming his hands and feet. Tom went to live with his Uncle Wylie and Aunt Clara Barnes of Midway, Tennessee at age 9. There he eventually attended Union City High School in nearby Union City where he played football and managed his studies along with before and after school jobs at Reelfoot Packing Company. He was drafted and enlisted in the US Navy in 1945 and returned to graduate in 1946 after World War II ended.

He relocated to Detroit, Michigan a few years after graduation, married, then enlisted in the US Air Force. He was finishing basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio when his daughter was born. After completing basic training, Tom moved his family to Alabama in 1953 where he was stationed at Maxwell AFB. While there, Tom was sent overseas to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, after which the family relocated to San Antonio for Tom’s final assignment at Randolph AFB where he worked with a pilot training team studying the effects of diminishing oxygen supply in the cockpit at simulated altitudes. After leaving the US Air Force, Tom returned to college and graduated from St. Mary’s University in 1959 with a degree in accounting. Tom became a CPA and worked many years as business manager for Catto & Catto Insurance Company until he retired in 1989.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, sister and brothers, and his wife Norma June McCollum Barnes. He is survived by daughter, Barbara Barnes Samfield (San Antonio), grandsons Jason Samfield (San Antonio), and Jordan Samfield, wife Dominica, and great-grandson Henry (Belton, TX), two sisters-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews, and other extended family.

A longtime member of Trinity Baptist Church, Tom is fondly remembered for his ever-present smile, sense of humor, fix-it-yourself attitude, and love for his family. He was ready to help his family and friends at a moment’s notice. He especially treasured time spent playing with his grandsons while they were growing up.

Special gratitude is expressed for care and kindness shown to Tom and his family by the staff of Brookdale Oakwell, Brookdale Hospice caregivers, longtime private caregiver Nequisha, and his good friend, Margie. He will be dearly missed by many.

Private services will be held September 27, 2021, at Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Chapel with private burial to follow at Sunset Memorial Cemetery, 1701 Austin Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78218.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Trinity Baptist Church (trinitybaptist.org), Boysville (boysvilletexas.org), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) or any charitable organization that benefits children in need.