Thomas George Barnes (1957 - 2014)

Born 28 Oct 1957 in Conde, S. Dakota

Ancestors

Died 12 Oct 2014 at age 56 in Barbourville, Knox, Kentucky, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dennis Barnes [send private message]

Biography

Thomas was born on October 28, 1957 in Conde, SD. He was the son of Ola Barnes and Donna Hynes. Dr. Thomas G. Barnes, 56, of Barbourville, formerly of Lexington, the husband of Jamie Carter Barnes, passed away Sunday morning, October 12, 2014 at his home. He was a son of the late Ola and Donna Hynes Barnes.^[1]

Dr. Barnes was an Extension Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist at the University of Kentucky. He was a member of the Catholic Newman Center. Additionally, he was an author and accomplished photographer.

On April 4, 2014, he united in marriage with Jamie Carter in Pineville.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Barnes Volk and Theresa Barnes and a brother, Joseph Barnes. ^[2]

Tom Barnes passed away on October 12, 2014 after a long battle with illness. This is a great loss to the KNPS family and the conservation community of Kentucky as well as to his loved ones. Tom was not only a former KNPS president, but also a generous man who gave freely of his time and talents to this and many other conservation organizations. He regularly led field trips and gave presentation on biodiversity issues to groups of all types, from local garden clubs to the KNPS Wildflower Weekends. In many ways, Tom personified the KNPS; he was a respected academic whose invasive species management research influenced land managers in Kentucky and throughout the nation, including the graduate students he mentored, but his real passion was educating the general public about biodiversity issues.

He truly loved nature for its beauty, as well as understanding its scientific importance. An accomplished photographer, his photographs appeared in books, websites, calendars, magazines, and other outlets all over the world, including at the Chicago Botanical Garden, the Audubon Aquarium, the Smithsonian and the Bronx Zoo—but he allowed groups like KNPS free access to his photos provided they were used to educate the public on biodiversity issues.

As the wildlife extension professor in the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky, Tom authored more than 50 scientific research articles, 60 cooperative extension publications and 100 magazine articles, most of which focused on native plants and natural areas. His research emphasis has been on the restoration of native grasslands and his extension programs focus on the conservation of biodiversity and wildlife management.

Tom may be best known for his natural history books, many of which were co-sponsored by the KNPS. His book, Kentucky’s Last Great Places, was nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award in non-fiction. Other published books include Gardening for the Birds, The Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky with Dr. Wilson Francis, The Rare Wildflowers of Kentucky with Deborah White and Marc Evans, The Gift of Creation––Images from Scripture and Earth with Norman Wirzba, and How to Find and Photograph Kentucky Wildflowers. His most recent book, Kentucky, Naturally: the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund at Work, was just published in July 2014. In 2003 Kentucky’s Last Great Places also inspired the Kentucky Educational Television production of the same name, the most popular program in the network’s history. Tom created and hosted another popular KET program focusing on native plants in 2007, A Walk Through Kentucky’s Wildflower ^{[3] [4]}

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/210259498/thomas-george-barnes
2. ↑ http://www.knoxfuneralhome.com/index.cfm/obituaries-condolences/archived-obituaries/barnes-thomas-1957-2014/
3. ↑ http://www.knps.org/pdf-doc/TomBarnes.pdf
4. ↑ http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n98017788/