Ronald Charles Barnes, 80, of Bradenton, Florida, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025.
Ron was born on June 20, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois, to Irene Stewart and Eugene Barnes. He grew up in and around the greater Chicago area. Ron was known for being a great athlete playing baseball (earning a few championships along the way) and playing basketball, garnering regular coverage in the local newspapers.
Ron received his nursing certificate in the early 1970's. At the start of his career, Ron worked as a registered nurse at hospitals and, later, the Soldiers Home in St. James, Missouri. Then, in 1980, Ron went back to school and received his BA degree from University of Missouri - Rolla.
Ron's career was marked by leadership and service. In the early 1980's, Ron served as the director of the Phelps County Health Department. Later he would serve as a lobbyist in Jefferson City advocating for elder care. His handling of these causes, among others, would put his leadership in the spotlight and he was appointed by the governor of Missouri to lead a state home care agency. After years of this important work, Ron relocated to the Kansas City area where he would serve as the executive director of the Visiting Nurses Association of Greater Kansas City until 1991.
In 1992, Ron and his family relocated to Columbia, Missouri, where Ron became the director of VNA of Mid-Missouri. In the mid-90s Ron would work with his friend Larry Campbell to start American Homecare, a private home health agency that served Missouri and surrounding areas. He worked as the CEO of American Homecare until they sold the company and he retired in 2008.
Always an athlete, Ron found great joy on the golf course. During his retirement, Ron played hundreds of rounds of golf, playing bucket list courses like Lahinch in Ireland, Pebble Beach Golf Course in California, Sandy Lane Golf Course in Barbados, among others. In 2018, he achieved the rare feat of making two holes in one during a single round of golf at his former course, Glades Country Club, in Naples, Florida.
Ron was a huge Mizzou fan, enjoying season tickets to football and basketball games while he lived in Columbia, Missouri. And while he spent his retirement years in Florida and couldn't attend the games in person, you could rest assured that they would be on the television. MIZ
For those who knew Ron, they remember him as a larger-than-life personality - he loved telling stories and jokes, he loved laughing, he loved having fun. But more than anything else, he loved love. For his family, there wasn't a visit or phone call that ever ended without the words "I love you." There were many hugs. There were many compliments and words of encouragement. Ron was the best dad, stepdad and grandfather, and we are all so grateful to have many happy memories with him.
Ron was known for his kind and generous spirit. He prioritized the needs of others and left an indelible mark on the lives of his family, friends, and community.
Ron is survived by his loving wife, Dixie Barnes; his children, Amanda Barnes-Tolson (Aaron Tolson) and Dixon Barnes; stepdaughters Charissa Consiglio and Heather Frazier; and his cherished grandchildren, Guillermo Hernandez, Cecilia Consiglio, Nayeli Barnes, Cashel Frazier, Chaucer Frazier, and Cullen Frazier. He was preceded in death by his sons, Andrew Barnes and Adam Barnes.
The family requests that donations be made in his memory to Gingerbread House,1401 Truman Ave, Rolla, MO 65401, which Ron helped to establish in 1981.
