Paul Willis Barnes' Obituary
At 10 PM on March 28, 2022, my wonderful husband passed away.
He was my heart and I know I was his. He took wonderful care of me all the time and spoiled me rotten. My heart is broken, but I know we will meet again because we were meant to be together. It was God's plan. We always said “I love you” when we went to bed.
We met on a blind date in 1975 married on March 15, 1975, and had Michael on October 11, 1975. It was a busy year. All his children will miss him dearly. He was their “Dad”,“Paul”, or “Papa”. He loved them all and was so proud of all their accomplishments. He will be so missed, not just by me but everyone who knew him. Many church members would tell wonderful stories of his help and kindness. His golf, biking riding, and bowling buddies also will miss him. They say his critique made them better players. They all called him "brother" and had a great respect for him.
Paul was a long-time member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Paul retired from Lockheed after a 49-year career there. In his free time, he enjoyed wood-working, golf, cycling, bowling, and gardening.
Paul is preceded in death by his son, James "Jim" Paul Barnes. He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Michele Barnes; daughters, Catherine Barlow, Terri Barlow, and Lori McBrayer; sons, Jeff Barnes and Michael Barnes; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 6, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home. A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, April 7, at 10:00 AM at Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Smyrna.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in Paul's name be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at https://www.svdpgeorgia.org/
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