Willie Lee Barnes began his journey of life on May 16, 1948 in Tallahassee, Florida.  He was the son of the late Annie Mae Barnes and Lewis Trent.  As a young boy, Willie had a special bond with his grandparents, Essex and Aleatha Barnes, who raised him to be the great man that we all knew.

After graduating from Lincoln High School in 1966, Willie proudly elected to serve his country in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War.  Willie was very skilled in many areas such as accounting, culinary arts, and automotive work.  The automotive skills carried him to a career at Chrysler for many years until his retirement, where he got a chance to enjoy his favorite hobbies of bowling and fishing.

Willie suffered great health issues starting in 2014, and God saw fit to keep him on this earth to fight a good fight for another eight years.  Willie Lee Barnes took his last breath on December 13, 2022.

Willie was blessed to have a devoted wife by his side, Terri Barnes, who provided love and care during his best and worst days.  Willie also leaves to cherish his memory two sons, Kevin Barnes (Pamela) and David Barnes, born of unions with Priscilla Barnes and Phyllis Lanier, respectively; one stepdaughter Tiffany Reynoso (Carlos); two brothers, Christopher Barker (Dionne) and Lamar Dixon (Barbara).  There are a host of other relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.