James S. Barnett's Obituary
Jim was born in New Orleans on May 4, 1936, to Orville Claire Barnett and Helen Spence Barnett. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister-in-law, Wanda Barnett.
Jim is survived by a loving family of relatives, including his wife of 44 years, Vera Barnett, and his two brothers. Robert “Bob” Barnett and wife Elinor, and Richard “Dick” Barnett and wife Shirley. Nephews are Michael “Mike” Barnett and wife Jenifer, Brian Barnett and wife Becky, Brandon Barnett and wife Cindy, and Rich Barnett. Jim had many great nieces and nephews and their families that include Amanda Daniels, Leah Trautmann, Jessica Stottlemeyer, Conner Barnett, Spencer Barnett, Skylar Barnett, Stephanie Miller, Kyle Barnett, and Shannon Barnett.
Jim passed away after a “full life and a life well lived” at the age of 88.
Jim graduated from Adamson HS and Southern Methodist University. He had joined TI as an SMU co-op student in 1953 and graduated from SMU in 1959 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Over his career with both TI and Raytheon, he helped design many systems, primarily in the area of infrared night vision, and, early in his career, was involved in the development and testing of early IR mapping systems by flying around Texas in the open bombay of a DC3 aircraft while debugging the hardware. This was just one example of Jim’s dedication to his craft as an engineer. On a personal note, his interests included everything from chess to astronomy, and he was an avid reader.
What’s your fondest memory of James?
What’s a lesson you learned from James?
Share a story where James' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with James you’ll never forget.
How did James make you smile?