Barbara Ann Barnes

Barbara Ann Barnes was the first of five children born to Walter and Julia Barnes in Chicago, Illinois. Julia would often talk about the smiles and joy that she brought to her parents, especially her father as a child. She was the eldest sister to Walter (Chuck), William (Bill who predeceases her), Mary, and Nancy. To know Barb was to Love Barb, as she touched many lives.

Barb had many interests throughout her lifetime.  She enjoyed the outdoors and hiked with the Happy Hikers, loved snowshoeing, and planting flowers.  Every season she planned what to plant in her raised vegetable beds at her home and cultivated a beautiful garden.  She was an avid reader (she called her reading room the “Oh My God Room” because it was filled to the brim with books), a book club member, secretary of her investment club, and a member of the American Woman’s Accounting Association.  

It was well known that Barbra had an appreciation for the arts and sciences, supporting the Denver Art Museum, Women’s Bean Project, Boys Town, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, volunteering at her local library and local theater as a seasonal pass holder.  Above all, Barbra cared deeply for her community and was selflessly charitable with her time and investments.  

Barb inherited her mother, Julia’s sense of adventure.  In her late 20’s, she moved to San Diego, California, where she worked as a legal secretary before investing in other skills and education. As a true progressive woman of the 70’s, she enrolled into an in-depth women’s class, learning electrical work and plumbing. She oversaw the books for an import auto repair shop until she decided to pursue an undergraduate accounting degree from San Diego State in accounting.  With degree in hand, she moved to Colorado to join her entire family from Chicago by that time. 

While in Colorado, Barbra worked for an accounting firm before a position with an aviation company drew her to Montana in the 80’s to oversee their accounting practices. After the death of her father in April of 89, Barb returned to Colorado where she applied her accounting degree to various global companies ranging from oil and gas, to electronics, engineering, consulting, and construction.

Earlier this year, Barbara was diagnosed with rare blood cancers, MDS and MPN, both of which affect bone marrow. Barbara bravely fought the diseases before they progressed to a more aggressive form of AML leukemia, taking her life Friday, September 26 in her home under hospice care with family by her side. 

Barbara is survived by her brother Walt, sisters Mary and Nancy, brother-in-law Philip Clements, niece Joo Marie McAllister, nephews Matt Barnes, Blaine Barnes, and Will McAllister.  Will’s wife Megan Waters, and 4 wonderful Grandnieces, Ada, Talulah, Elliot and Sawyer. Barbara was a woman of remarkable strength, a bountiful sense of humor, unfaltering love and perpetual spirit. She will be missed beyond words by family and friends. 

A celebration of life to honor Barbara will be held on October 17, 3:00pm, at Drinkwine Family Mortuary, Littleton, CO. Reception immediately following at Drinkwine.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society for people who need cancer research to continue. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Barbara Ann Barnes, please visit our floral store.