08-15-09 Goodbye, Doug Kathy Smith/Tribune Society Editor I am not sure when I first met Doug Barnes. It seems like he was always there. Barnes left us this past week a victim of Cancer. I stopped by his beautiful home on Wednesday evening to pay my respects to Mary his lovely wife. I have pulled up in front of the Barnes home on several occasions and I always felt the gardens along with brick walk way were like a path to a home filled with love and spirituality. The historic home the Barnes family lives in has been lovingly restored by both the Barnes. They worked hard together and they loved so deeply together. We all knew it and stood in awe of it. Doug with his quick Cheshire cat smile and Mary with her petite frame and soft voice were models of life that we all hope to strive for. They made friends with the likes of Fred and Julie Grogan and Bill and Rita Duvall. They were all friends for twenty years. They raised their children in the historic neighborhoods that they all loved just like hundreds have done over the past one hundred and fifty years of the life of this town we now call Lee’s Summit. Many from the historic neighborhoods have left their mark on our city forever whether it was J.C. Jones or William B. Howard. Doug left his mark on all of us who knew him. He was a straight shooter who told you like it is. His heart was as big as the sky. His talent was endless and his courage knew no boundary. Sadly he is gone now. The last time I saw him was at Downtown Days giving his buddy Fred Grogan, who was sitting on the dunk tank, a hard time with that big grin on his handsome face. You know what Doug? You rock! God Bless you my man. Heaven is lucky to welcome you just as Lee’s Summit did so many years ago.
