James Keith Barnes was born in Toledo, Ohio on April 25, 1944 to James W. and Betty Barnes. James is the second of six children and was born while his father was in Europe during World War II. His sisters’ names are Gayle Broom, Judy DePeal, Carol Howell and Janice Pakema, and his brother is Rodney Barnes.
He is survived by five children – Christa Rosenberg, Betty Conklin, Jamie Barnes, Melissa Barnes, and Bryan Barnes. He has 9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. James, or “JB,” attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and received both academic and football scholarships. He graduated in 1966 with majors in Chemistry and Psychology. From there he attended University of Louisville Medical School, graduating in approximately 1970. From 1970 – 71, he was in the Air Force and served at Wright Patterson Airforce base in Kettering, Ohio.
JB became a medical doctor, and decided to become a psychiatrist, based, he said, on reading “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” He saw issues in psychiatry that disturbed him, like shock treatment and lobotomies, and wanted to be an agent of change. He was quite passionate about being a psychiatrist because he wanted to help people, and he was truly gifted at it. Before moving to California in 1978, JB grew up in and returned to Oregon, Ohio after college. He was known for his love of sports, and played as many as he could, most notably football. He also enjoyed many friendships and loved to reminisce about his friends. He often told their life stories in great detail and with relish. In fact, his curiosity and passion for understanding was applied not only to getting to know people, but he also loved finding out as much as he could about places visited and histories.
He would regale you with stories and his excitement was contagious. He was so fun to be around. Before he died, JB stated his children were his whole reason for living. His life’s dream was to make sure his kids were all taken care of, and were able to move with him to Maui, and travel to wherever their dreams took them. For example, he knew Christa and Betty thoroughly enjoyed their trip together to Europe, and he wanted to send them on another trip there, because he enjoyed seeing them so happy as they’d been when they returned with pictures and stories. He wanted to grant all his kids’ every wish.
JB was generous and thoroughly enjoyed showing people a good time. Not only did he take his own kids, but he often hosted their cousins and/or friends. For example, his nephew Jude enjoyed spending time with JB, and particularly relished the trips to Disneyland with the family. He enjoyed it so much that he later took his own children to Disneyland on a regular basis. When JB and the kids still lived in Ohio, he took them on wonderful vacations, such as fishing at Manistique Lake in Michigan, to Toronto and Niagara Falls, Canada, and to Disneyland in California at least once a year. He loved to take them skiing at Mt. Brighton, Michigan, to movies, and to Farrell’s old fashioned ice cream parlor for birthdays. They would also visit local sites regularly, such as the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, and the Toledo Art Museum and Toledo Zoo. In summer, he took the kids to the Strawberry Festival in Holland, Ohio, the Lucas County fair (where they would try to guess his weight and he always won), and sometimes the Ohio State fair. He also took them to Cedar Point and Disney movies at the drive-in theater next to Pearson Park.
Movies were a passion of his. Some of his favorites were Rocky, Young Frankenstein, and Star Wars. Star Wars was his all-time favorite and was playing at theaters for at least 2 years. He must’ve taken the kids to see it at least 50 times. He always had such glee and child-like excitement. He had several favorite restaurants in Toledo. Someplace Else, Steak and Ale, the Original House of Pancakes, and Earl’s were among his favorites. He used to say, “this is the best food ever!” No matter who was there, he always treated everyone. It was his pleasure! Some of his adventures included bull fighting, lion taming, and riding an ostrich at the Kentucky Derby. In 1978, JB moved Christa, Betty and Jamie to Southern California, and Melissa and Bryan were born shortly afterward. During the California years, JB took the kids to Disneyland several times a year, and every summer would drive up to San Francisco and then on to one of his favorite spots in the world, South Lake Tahoe. Day and weekend trips in California included Julian, Anza Borrego, Green Valley Falls, Palm Springs and Lake Havasu. He also took them to a fun park called Clairemont Mesa where there were go carts, trampolines, mini-golf and batting cages. Some of his favorite restaurants were Filippi’s Pizza, Casa de Pico, and Marie Calendar’s. JB worked hard and played hard. Family time was his favorite thing. Before he passed away, he stated that his kids were his whole world.
His warmth and zest for life will be sorely missed..
So sorry to hear about your dad’s passing, Betty.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Rob, Ivana, Adrian and Elliot Nannen