Robert "Bob" Dorsey Barnes

Robert Dorsey “Bob” Barnes, passed away on December 17, 2023, from complications of dementia. Bob was born on September 13, 1937, in Denver, Colorado, to Dr. And Mrs. Dorsey King Barnes. Bob and his sister, Sue, grew up in Dallas, and he was in the class of 1955 at Highland Park High School.

Bob graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He then attended Texas A&M, earning a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Entomology in 1963 and 1965, respectively. Bob then taught Biology at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. From public education to higher education, as a student and a professor, Bob made friends who became family, and he remembered them fondly until the day he died.

Bob married Janye Evelyn Barclay on July 1, 1962, in Silsbee, Texas, and they celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in 2021, two months before her death. They reared their two daughters, Lisa and Amy, in Corpus Christi and then in San Angelo, Texas. In 1980, Bob came to San Angelo to work for a fraternity brother who was a custom home builder and Bob soon became "the best construction manager with a Ph.D. in Entomology that there ever was!" As such, Bob played a part in the construction of many of the beautiful homes in San Angelo in the 80s and 90s. Bob completed his working years as a Construction Manager for Town & Country Food Stores and retired in 2000 to spend more time with Janye and his three precious grandchildren…and hunting.

Bob was an outdoorsman of the highest order. He loved to fish, and gun hunt, but his true love became bowhunting after killing his first deer with a recurve bow in 1956 at the Vanderstucken Ranch in Sonora, Texas. His love of the outdoors led him on many adventures all over the world. He hunted Plains Game in South Africa, Red Stag in New Zealand, Brown Bear and Elk in New Mexico, Moose and Caribou in Canada, and so many whitetail deer he ran out of wall space to show off his trophies. He fished in Saskatchewan, Interior Mexico, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Snake River, and all over Texas. He loved to dove hunt down in the Rio Grande Valley, and one of his highlight hunting trips was with the entire family in Cordoba, Argentina, for the ultimate dove hunt, with the family killing more than 4000 doves over a five-day trip.

Once his grandchildren came along, though, he scaled back his personal hunting to ensure that they loved the outdoors and understood the value of the humane harvesting of wild game. All three killed their first deer with their Papa and became proficient with all firearms.

Bob was a proud member of First Methodist Church and the Cheers Sunday School class. He was one of the Do-Dads, who did odd jobs around the church (and also drank coffee, ate donuts, and told stories). He attended Walk to Emmaus #1191 and humbly served on many teams and the Concho Country Emmaus Board. He considered the Walk to Emmaus to be the defining moment in his faith journey and was wearing his Emmaus cross as he fell asleep on earth. He spent most Tuesdays at noon with the God's Guys Emmaus Reunion Group until Janye's and his health kept him from it. He was also instrumental in helping to create the 4H Shooting Sports Club and taught many young men and women to become shooting enthusiasts.

Welcoming Bob to Heaven are his parents; his wife, Janye; his "favorite daughter," Amy Barnes Landon; and family and friends he remembered even to his last days. Left to celebrate his life on Earth are his "favorite daughter," Lisa Barnes Hirschfeld, and her husband, Kendall; his sister, Sue Barnes Wills and her husband, Don; his stepbrothers, John Phalen and George C. Phalen, and their families; his son-in-law, Clint Landon; his grandchildren: Chris & Bonnie Hirschfeld, Amanda Hirschfeld, and Bobby Hirschfeld; cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and many friends-who-are-family.

The family would like to thank The Springs Memory Care, Ginny Fuchs and the staff at Lyndale Senior Living, Hospice of San Angelo, and Drs. Ty Hughston, Raj Cheruku, and Denver Marsh and their staffs.

Honorary Pallbearers are Kendall Hirschfeld, Clint Landon, Dr. Larry Petty, Don Wills, the late Charlie Landon, God’s Guys Reunion Group, and anyone who ever shared a fishing boat or deer blind with Bob.

Celebration of Life will be held in the Sanctuary of First Methodist Church, 37 E. Beauregard, San Angelo on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to First Methodist Church – Love & Care Committee – 37 E. Beauregard, San Angelo, Texas 76903; Concho Country Emmaus Community – Scholarships – PO Box 1522, San Angelo, Texas 76902; West Texas Boys Ranch - 10223 Boys Ranch Road, San Angelo, Texas 76904 or www.wtbr.org/donate; or a favorite charity.